Solar electric sold at $0.022 Kwhr

I get charged a "Renewable Energy charge" AND a "Energy Efficiency charge" on my electric bill. And I don't even use the crap!!!

If not for subsidies, wind and solar would be DEAD. That's a fact. Why the F am I getting billed for it if it is so great???

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Sat. Jul. 29, 2023 7:37 am

I am waiting for them to add a box for “100% St Lawrence Hydro power”. Cheap, clean, and always on.

Or a "Melanoma Cancer Relief Fund" for workers who work near the PV plants.

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Sat. Jul. 29, 2023 7:37 am

I am waiting for them to add a box for “100% St Lawrence Hydro power”. Cheap, clean, and always on.

St. Lawrence hydro is what we get down here at .035kwh. The village has had a contract since the St. Lawrence hydro first came online.

Because the village uses more than our hydro contract allotment, it gets another .015 tacked on for "purchased power" buying gas-fired electric from the grid. That part of the bill goes up with winter demand because a lot of homes here use electric heat. Highest it's gotten is .10kwh in a really cold February some years ago.

But from spring through fall the total billing is for .05kwh. No added charges for distribution, or any of the lame-named middleman charges I see others getting charged.

Paul

how did you get such a great power source

franpipeman wrote: ↑

Fri. Sep. 22, 2023 8:37 am

how did you get such a great power source

When the Seaway was constructed, the New York Power Authority offered long term contracts on the power they planned to produce. The first entities to sign up got the lowest rates. Paul’s local municipal electric co. must have recognized a great opportunity early on.

Rob R. wrote: ↑

Fri. Sep. 22, 2023 10:25 am

When the Seaway was constructed, the New York Power Authority offered long term contracts on the power they planned to produce. The first entities to sign up got the lowest rates. Paul’s local municipal electric co. must have recognized a great opportunity early on.

Correct. And our long-term contract was recently renewed for another long term.

This village was one of the first communities in the area to go electric back in the early 1900's.

NYS also has one of the highest percentages of hydroelectric power production in the country. But the low hydro rate power is not available to all within the state. Just outside the village the kwh rate is almost triple because it's one of the big power companies with all their extra charges.

My friend the mayor told me there are 42 villages and coops in NYS that have their own "power departments" and very low electric rates as a result. When I lived on Long Island, Freeport and Garden City had their own power plants and their electric rates are about 25% of what LILCO, the only other power provider in Nassau and Suffolk Counties back then, was charging.

Paul

Sunny Boy wrote: ↑

Fri. Sep. 22, 2023 12:59 pm

NYS also has one of the highest percentages of hydroelectric power production in the country. But the low hydro rate power is not available to all within the state. Just outside the village the kwh rate is almost triple because it's one of the big power companies with all their extra charges.

Paul

It is unfortunate more townships did not recognize what a great opportunity it was to pre-buy the hydro power at cheap rates. Those that did went "all electric" long before it was politically popular. If everyone had access to cheap power the govt. wouldn't be trying to force an electric conversion on people (b/c they would have gone electric all on their own).

In a way, it's fortunate for those of us on hydro power that more didn't. There is only so much hydro power available now, unless the State decides to build more dams. I don't see the powerful tree hugger lobby in Albany allowing that.

When I moved here 32 years ago the Village was under its hydro kwh allotment for the warmer months. The Village sold the surplus power down state, and everyone got a credit on their electric bill.

Now there is so much demand for electric that the Village is over its hydro allotment all year, so we get an additional cost for "PP" purchased power such as from gas fired power plants. That kicks the .035 kwh up to .05 in Spring through Fall. That PP charge goes up in Winter, but not the .035kwh hydro cost.

Paul

thank you all for the eloquant reply

franpipeman wrote: ↑

Sat. Sep. 23, 2023 8:32 am

thank you all for the eloquant reply

The Thousand Islands region is a wonderful place to visit in the summer. If you are ever up there the power dam is a cool place to check out.

Visiting a dam ? Never done that.