what on earth does electricity cost near you?

[Diggin It]

Who knew the lions share of electricity is distribution and no longer generation?

I can easily see that. Poles and wire aren't cheap. Add in all the technology involved in remote reading and system monitoring, plus the potential replacement parts they need to have on hand. Then the cost of road equipment (those boom trucks ain't cheap either), staffing and training, plus insurance for everything above.


Our power has gone out a few times in recent months due to storms. Those crews get out into the thick of it and have brought our power back in a few hours in the middle of the night while the storm is still happening.


I have no idea what a journeyman lineman makes these days, but I'm pretty sure it's a bit more than minimum wage.

 

[DarkBlack]

I can easily see that. Poles and wire aren't cheap.

Not trying to be a wise guy, but wood poles, actually are cheap. The absolute cheapest.
Hence, we have so many disruptive outages, which wouldn’t have happened if more money was spent on buried lines

 

[ponytug]

I can easily see that. Poles and wire aren't cheap. Add in all the technology involved in remote reading and system monitoring, plus the potential replacement parts they need to have on hand. Then the cost of road equipment (those boom trucks ain't cheap either), staffing and training, plus insurance for everything above.


Our power has gone out a few times in recent months due to storms. Those crews get out into the thick of it and have brought our power back in a few hours in the middle of the night while the storm is still happening.


I have no idea what a journeyman lineman makes these days, but I'm pretty sure it's a bit more than minimum wage.

Around here starting is $120k/yr, plus overtime. As they are locally chronically short staffed, the average is $225k-ish.

Then again on the job risks are more than paper cuts...

 

[DarkBlack]

I have no idea what a journeyman lineman makes these days, but I'm pretty sure it's a bit more than minimum wage.

You should look it up. Im curious..
In NH, a licensed journeyman makes a lot better wage than minimum wage.

 

[KennyG]

Not trying to be a wise guy, but wood poles, actually are cheap. The absolute cheapest.
Hence, we have so many disruptive outages, which wouldn’t have happened if more money was spent on buried lines

Buried lines are great in a subdivision with a few dozen houses. The problem is main lines that carry a high current. That generates a lot of heat and underground lines eventually overheat unless you provide cooling or increase the wire size.

 

[DarkBlack]

Buried lines are great in a subdivision with a few dozen houses. The problem is main lines that carry a high current. That generates a lot of heat and underground lines eventually overheat unless you provide cooling or increase the wire size.

Seriously? Buried lines Can carry a lot more than the power for a few dozen houses.
That’s

 

[newbury]

Heat to 60 and cool to 80.

Well I thought I had posted more than that quote in this thread, but didn't find it in the first 200 posts..
I've one house in the TVA region.
Our residential rates just climbed again.
There is now a flat monthly rat of $19.58 and then it's $0.11667 per KWH.

Tombigbee’s historic rate increases are set out below
• 10/01/03- 2.31%
• 10/01/05- 1.55%
• 10/01/06- 2.01%
• 10/01/08- 2.46%
• 10/01/09- 1.32%
• 10/01/18- 1.51%
• 10/01/22- 0.50%
• 10/01/23 – 4.0%
• 10/01/24 – 1.5%

With rates like that alternative energy has to be awful cheap, including maintenance.
Thankfully my cost of living increase on my CSRS retirement have far outpaced the rising cost of electricity. Taxes on land are not too bad either.

 

[KennyG]

Seriously? Buried lines Can carry a lot more than the power for a few dozen houses.
That’s

You can put any amount of power through and underground line, but the cost goes up drastically as you increase the capacity. The lines have to be larger, the insulation is much more expensive, and a certain point, the lines need to be in some type of conduit that provides cooling.

 

[Diggin It]

This area is heavily wooded in some areas and lines cross multiple roads, rivers and streams. Underground ain't happenin'.

 

[Looking4new]

The same goes for here. My juice is underground from the pole to the house. I am a full acre back from the road behind an acre of forest.