Maryland consumers will be paying 14.6 cents per kWh starting on July 1, 2006. For us this is a 72% increase that our governor and the legislature allowed so that Constellation Energy, aka "Enron East" can make huge profits.
Please take the poll to let us get a snapshot of electric rates and municipal/ coop electric companies vs. deregulated gougers like Constellation. Do you get your power from a coop or municipally owned utility? If so, are your rates lower?
What electric price would cause you to invest in an alternative? For me, it's $.14/kWh, I'll be installing a solar hot water heater this year. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs are also an excellent way to cut electric use.
Electric Rate Map, Electric generation costs, and information on utility scams after the break.
Cost of electric generation is shown here:
So yes, Coal and Nuclear are the cheapest, and about $.02/kWh. Why are we paying so much more? Read on to see some of the reasons, but basically it is because things are rigged to benefit the rich, not to give the consumer a fair deal.
Check out this map of electric rates in 2004:
The site is touting their low rates as a competitive advantage for Kentucky. They probably burn the local coal, so their generation cost is less than $.02/kWh.
Kentucky Electric Coop.
The big greedy energy managers are ready to gouge with both hands, and the rise in world energy prices gives them a great opportunity. Electric utilities that are "de-regulated" are the perfect profit making company. They have in place lots of low cost generating capacity like nuclear or coal plants that pump out the majority of their electricity at a generating cost of less than $.02/kWh. But wait, they then sell this for the "market price"- all the electricity is sold for the highest price bid for the last gas or oil fired plant, so we are all ripped off, and the compliant and corrupt media types just blithely repeat the energy companies standard line: "But energy prices are going up, you must pay more."
Here in Maryland we have a perfect example: The Baltimore Gas & Electric company has been a regulated utility for many years, and they owned Calvert Cliffs, a nuclear plant that puts out 40% of the electricity used in our region at a cost of about $.018/kWh. So with deregulation, BGE "gave" the plant to Constellation Energy Group (CEG), PLUS Maryland electric users paid Constellation Energy $528 million in "stranded costs" to be used to decommission the plant or just because CEG wanted more money. Then once the merger went through, Calvert Cliffs was certified for 30 more years of operation, meaning the plant is now worth about $4 billion, and it no longer has any "stranded costs". But CEG is not giving back the $528 million, and now they want to merge with Florida Power and Light so that the CEG CEO, Mayo Shattuck III, can rake in $40 million in bonuses- what a deal for him, and we'll be paying forever.
Cowardly Bob Ehrlich may soon have a new job, spokesperson for Constellation Energy. He has stacked the Public Service Commission with ex-utility Bushites, and sees himself as a "neutral party" in the rate discussions. Well Bobby, you'll be able to take that Constellation Energy money directly after November 7th instead of in campaign contributions, because Maryland voters will toss you out like yesterday's garbage.