From wtsb.com Progress Energy Seeking 16.2% Increase Due To Rise In Fuel Prices The same global economic influences that have caused prices to rise dramatically at the gas pump have pushed up the cost of other fuels in recent months. The increase – particularly in the price of coal used in electricity generation – has prompted Progress Energy Carolinas to seek an increase in the fuel component of the rates paid by the company’s N.C. customers. On Friday, Progess Energy filed for a 16.2 percent increase in residential customers utility bills to take effect on December 1. It includes a 13.61 percent increase for fuel expenses, 2 percent to recovery energy-efficienty and demand-side management expenses and a flat monthly charges of 46 cents for renewable energy costs. For the average customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per month, their bill would increase from $96.86 to $112.57, a difference of $15.71. By law, the company makes no profit from the fuel component of rates. Commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina would see the same fuel-related percentage increase, 13.61 percent. For commercial and industrial customers, the energy-efficiency and demand-side management and renewable energy costs vary based on size of the customer, energy usage and other factors. After a slight increase in 2007, the prices of coal and other fuels used to produce electricity have risen sharply. Since June 2007, the market price for coal has increased more than 160 percent and has established several records thus far in 2008; natural gas prices have risen 55 percent; fuel oil prices have risen 87 percent. Meanwhile, demand for coal in developing countries, particularly China and India, continues to rise, creating global supply and price issues. Coal fueled about half the electricity that Progress Energy Carolinas generated for its customers in 2007. The company’s nuclear plants accounted for about 44 percent. Plants that use natural gas and oil accounted for about 5 percent, with the remaining generation coming from hydroelectric plants in central and western North Carolina.
I fully expected it -- just like everything else, the cost of living day to day is going to increase dramatically as long as the cost of energy/fuel is high. I certainly do not expect P&E to just absorb the increased cost of doing business, they produce a product, and when their cost to do business goes up they will naturally pass that increase cost on to the consumers. What more can you expect them to do?
Where did I say I didn't expect it or what I expected them to do?? I just quoted the article.........................................
I want them to bring on the nuclear power - I remember reading something about cheap power in "Popular Science" sometime back in the "60's".
Yep, I can. I remember trying to go protest the building of Three Mile Island but alas my friends left without me. Dear ole' dad found out ahead of time and let them know that they would be arrested if they crossed the state line with me. Dang it. Guess we just were not as stupid as others thought! Sherry
Just ou8t of curiosity, why were you going to protest Three Mile Island? It was not the first or even second nuclear reactor built in the US. It was under construction for six years before it was brought online. It was operational for five years before the accident. There was certainly no way of knowing that there would be an accident, until TMI the nuclear industry was considered safe. Did you and your friend have some sort of ESP that we should know about?
I have seen them, lived near them as a matter of fact. On any given day two thirds of them are out of service (either selectively shut down or in disrepair). They are also ugly as all get out.
I hadn't realized that - broken down often? We just drove by them a few times. What if they were put someplace away from your aesthetic view?
Not nearly as ugly as a topless mountain, the smoke coming out of a coal-fired plant, or a nuclear power plant. Now those are UGLY! They also hum. that's something you apparently forgot to whine about. Here's a novel concept: there are trade-offs in life. Sometimes, you have inconveniences with things that are helpful or useful. Things are rarely perfect. Life, in general, is like that. A few ugly windmills or the end of the planet. Hmmmm, that is a toughy!
I have never seen smoke coming out of a USA Nuclear Power Plant, how does that happen? 8) Oh and some good news: http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1103070.html
speaking purely ascetically I'm kind of an industriophile, i love big high tension power lines, radio/cellphone/microbeam towers, and nuclear plants. i don't like coal power plants much though, they look too gritty for my tastes. I've seen pictures of grids of wind turbines, and those look amazing. i don't think i'd get tired of them, as i never get tired of towers and power lines. this is one of my favorite pictures i took back when i was around 15 of the towers near Parrish farms. The frame effect i applied to it then was very unfortunate, but more so was the fact that i didn't yet know to keep originals of images. that was stupid. It would have looked better had i kept the original spacing, but back then i didn't know what negative space was good for, i just wanted a pretty picture. ;|
I haven't seen the ones in Cali but I have seen them in Copenhagen Denmark. The bay behind the airport is loaded with them.
