Cost of electricity in Hawaii

From dream-green.org Wiki

Cost of Electricity in Hawaii

According to the Energy Information System and the State of Nebraska, Hawaii ranks the highest in paying for electricity per kilowatt hour. Also the EiA says that the U.S. pays in U.S. Dollars per Kilowatthour in 2007 0.106 in comparison with 15 other nations who pay more, so that the U.S. ranks 16th in who pays the most. However, since Hawaii pays around 36 cents per kilowatt hour it is one of the highest prices in the world for electricity.

By law alternative energy sources are paid by Helco at the going rate for a barrel of oil, no matter what it costs to produce the alternative energy -- the so-called "avoided cost" of the fuel. This practice encourages alternative electricity but discourages Helco from purchasing it since there is no incentive for profit. Lawmakers are currently revising this practice so that everyone benefits including Helco.

The statewide electrical generating capacity is over 2300 MW (2003) according to The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Project Management Center (PMC), U.S. Department of Energy, most of this electricity is made from oil and coal. By far the county requiring the most electricity is the City and County of Honolulu (island of Oahu). The capacity for Oahu is 1669 MW-gross. The county of Maui is served by Maui Electric Company (MECO). MECO facilities are located on three islands that comprise Maui County: Lanai, Molokai, and Maui. There is also one IPP facility on the island of Maui. The total capacity is 267 MW-net. The county of Hawaii is served by Hawaii Electric Light Company (HELCO). The total capacity for this county is 288 MW-net. The county of Kauai is the only county that does not have a utility which is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries. Rather, electricity is provided by Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC). The current capacity is 77 MW.