BrewBum wrote:We only pay 16 cents per kwh right now it appears. My electricity is pretty cheap I feel, mainly because we are a public power state. I don't think I can grid tie yet, but I have talked to the right people and I think they are working toward it.
The problem is that my electricity is so cheap.......
Your power in Nebraska's is cheap because is currently mostly generated from coal and natural gas, but you also have two nuclear plants. Most all regional public utility commissions are mandated to require the regional utility companies to provide affordable, reliable power to their customers. Because of that, most electricity in this country is generated with carbon producing non-renewables (unless you have a siginificant nuclear power program in your area). Your "public power state" 16 cents per KwH is more that double that of 6 cents in Foomench's Colorado next door probably due to population density for the areas that each grid serves more than anything else.
It appears from the following report that the only renewable your state is pursuing in any significant quantity is wind power. We have experienced that having only 10% of our power produced by wind is already causing problems for the utility company - drops in wind speed can be sudden and it really screws up the frequency of the electrical grid as other generators can not react fast enough to come on line without some sort of "smart grid" technology that is more of a theory than a reality at the moment.
http://www.nepower.org/2009_Load_Capability.pdfAs most of Hawaii's fuel is imported from foreign countries (environmental regulations have all but eliminated the amount of domestic oil we used to import from Alaska), and with the rapid increase in oil prices we experienced last year, our governor and legislature have added language to the Public Utilities Commission to make long term energy security and locally produced renewable part of the consideration when approving power generation projects, even though it does cost more to the consumer to incorporate that as you mention.
The "cap and trade" carbon tax legislation is designed to drive up the price of the cheap power you currently enjoy so you are encouraged to switch over to renewables - either through your own actions or that which your utility company makes for you. Carbon taxes will not increase the cost of the electricity generated by nuclear power in your state.
