Electricity Price Increases

[jyoutz]

Natural gas fluctuates and while low today it might be as high as a giraffe's bunghole tomorrow, coal is usually contracted out in multi-year deals which is a known fixed cost.

Gas has always been cheap and abundant in my area. Our electric co-op and gas supplier does that same thing with gas: long term contracts.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Gas has always been cheap and abundant in my area. Our electric co-op and gas supplier does that same thing with gas: long term contracts.

Look where you are located.

 

[Jstpssng]

Same here. Our bill last month was $181 for electricity, yet the bill was $272 after all the fees and charges.

HOW do you use so much electricity? Are you an Amazon hub?

 

[NoTrespassing]

HOW do you use so much electricity? Are you an Amazon hub?

I have 2 coworkers that were complaining about their power bills last month. It was hot all month, they both live in modest sized houses. One paid over $500, the other paid over $900. I don't know how much power they used but 900 for power is crazy. I'm guessing their household income is under $80k gross.

 

[jyoutz]

Look where you are located.

Regardless of location, power companies lock in gas prices with long term contracts. It would be poor business practice to float with the daily price.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Regardless of location, power companies lock in gas prices with long term contracts. It would be poor business practice to float with the daily price.

Okay you win.

 

[jyoutz]

Okay you win.

Not a matter of winning. I just wanted to provide another perspective to the discussion that seems to suggest that we would all have cheap power if we went back to burning coal. We need a mix of all sources; all of them are viable, and all have pluses and minuses. Power companies are investing in infrastructure for the next 30 years. Look at how they’re investing.

 

[tracter]

When you hear about wind and solar farms just remember the output quoted in MWH is never achieved divide it by 2 and you get close to the mark that is when the Sun shines and the Wind blows
Do you know it takes a diesel motor to start a wind generator ?
Oz

 

[Jstpssng]

Do you know it takes a diesel motor to start a wind generator

I have to call BS on this!

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I was curious about your comment, so I queried this information about costs in my state:

“In New Mexico, new solar power contracts can be significantly cheaper than new coal power, with some utility-scale solar projects costing as little as 4 cents per kWh, compared to new coal plants which have historically been much more expensive, though actual costs vary with fluctuating fuel prices. Utility-scale solar's Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) without subsidies can range from $0.038 to $0.078 per kWh, while new coal plants are often more expensive than these renewable costs.“

Except wind and solar can not provide base load power, and that energy has to come from somewhere.