Where is everyone getting 2-3c/kwh? In my area, power runs at 8.9c
People who usually live near a source of cheap power - either a hydro electric dam or a nuclear power plant. Lots of places have really cheap power, it is just that in the inner city or in more densely populated areas the power tends to cost more.
I would actually love to know where exactly, because even if you look it up the cheapest electricity rates in the USA are in Washington but they are nowhere near 2-3c/kWh.
2-3c/kWh must be the rates that
huge mining operations get, but I can't imagine anything under a $100,000 mining operation ever getting rates like that, even if you do live in Washington, no?
Don't look at statewide averages - this has been pointed out before A FEW TIMES in various threads.
Any site that ONLY lists a "by state" rate is listing an AVERAGE - I don't know of ANY state in the US (possible exception for Rhode Island as it's so small) that is only covered by one power company/PUD.
Washington State in particular is covered by AT LEAST 20 different power companies/PUDs.
I know of quite a few COUNTIES that have more than one power company/PUD that SPLIT the country between them (Iowa is notorious this way).
As has been SPECIFICALLY mentioned in a few threads, there are 3 counties in Washington State that can get you under 3 cents/kwh all-up cost - Chelan and Douglas for EVERYONE (Residential rates ALL UP are 3c/kwh or a hair less, as are "general service" AKA small business rates) and Grant if you use over 200 KW on average (mid-sized business rate) or higher.
All 3 have "big" rates that are even less all-up, though none of them get down UNDER 2c/kwh (as I recall Grant gets the closest on it's "industrial" rate but it's still more like 2.5 or a bit more).
As it happens, each of these counties is covered entirely by a single county-wide PUD - and all 3 of them OWN 1 or 2 major dams on the Columbia River (2 each for Chelan and Grant, 1 for Douglas, IIRC).
For reference - the Grand Coulee dam (largest capacity dam in the US and as I recall it's still #1 for all of North America) straddles Grant and Okanogan counties (the Columbia is the border between the two counties in that area), but that damn is Federal owned (Bonneville Power Authority) and none of it's power output is sold to Grant County (not sure on Okanogan).
The "average" for Washington state is a lot higher, though it's still one of the lowest STATEWIDE averages in the US it gets pulled up quite a bit by the Seattle/Tacoma area.
Nuclear power in the US is NOT particularly cheap - way too much regulatory BS just getting the PERMITS to get plants built (and as I recall there hasn't been a nuclear plant COMPLETED in 2-3 decades), drives their amortized cost up a TON - and the INSURANCE for them is also very expen$ive (I think the only insurance carrier is the Federal Government, but not 100% sure there).