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In California we pay a lot more for transmission than generation. Is that true in most places ?

nobody9999 2y ago
>In California we pay a lot more for transmission than generation. Is that true in most places ? I can't speak for anywhere else, but had my bill handy and it's 2/3 delivery/transmission and 1/3 electricity here in NYC.
- JumpCrisscross 2y ago
  Would note that both New York and California have absolutely garbage transmission economics.
  - s1artibartfast 2y ago
    Yep. Wholesale electric contracts for electricity producers in California are as low as 3-4 cents per kilowatt hour. Many prices at the meter are closer to 45 cents per kilowatt hour. It certainly doesn't help that our monopoly transmission companies are regulated by price caps set on a cost plus basis. They have every incentive to drive up their costs and make transmission as expensive as possible.
  - nobody9999 2y ago
    >Would note that both New York and California have absolutely garbage transmission economics. Is that as compared to other places in the US? Around the world? That's not a gotcha question, as I've lived in NY for most of my life and more than the last 25 years, so I don't really know how utility companies in other places operate. Although I'd expect it would be pretty similar across the US, no?
    - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
      Yes, my rural Wyoming electricity is like 6 to 7¢. Per capita, it’s much more expensive to transmit in Wyoming than New York. (For non-bullshit reasons.) One lights the state on fire every fifteen seconds. (For comparison, look at power prices in Santa Clara, a bastion from PG&E’s incompetence.) The other has every community board provide input to move a power line two inches.
Leherenn 2y ago
As a data point from another country (Switzerland), transmission is between 1/2 to 2/3 in most places here I'd say.
rootusrootus 2y ago
Anecdote: In Portland, distribution is the most expensive component for peak time. The rest of the time, generation is usually more expensive. Transmission is the smallest component by far. The ratios between the three are not consistent between off/mid/on peak. I don't know what the flat rate ratios are, because my billing rate is time-of-use due to late night EV charging.

>In California we pay a lot more for transmission than generation. Is that true in most places ? I can't speak for anywhere else, but had my bill handy and it's 2/3 delivery/transmission and 1/3 electricity here in NYC.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago
Would note that both New York and California have absolutely garbage transmission economics.
- s1artibartfast 2y ago
  Yep. Wholesale electric contracts for electricity producers in California are as low as 3-4 cents per kilowatt hour. Many prices at the meter are closer to 45 cents per kilowatt hour. It certainly doesn't help that our monopoly transmission companies are regulated by price caps set on a cost plus basis. They have every incentive to drive up their costs and make transmission as expensive as possible.
- nobody9999 2y ago
  >Would note that both New York and California have absolutely garbage transmission economics. Is that as compared to other places in the US? Around the world? That's not a gotcha question, as I've lived in NY for most of my life and more than the last 25 years, so I don't really know how utility companies in other places operate. Although I'd expect it would be pretty similar across the US, no?
  - JumpCrisscross 2y ago
    Yes, my rural Wyoming electricity is like 6 to 7¢. Per capita, it’s much more expensive to transmit in Wyoming than New York. (For non-bullshit reasons.) One lights the state on fire every fifteen seconds. (For comparison, look at power prices in Santa Clara, a bastion from PG&E’s incompetence.) The other has every community board provide input to move a power line two inches.

Leherenn 2y ago

As a data point from another country (Switzerland), transmission is between 1/2 to 2/3 in most places here I'd say.

rootusrootus 2y ago

Anecdote: In Portland, distribution is the most expensive component for peak time. The rest of the time, generation is usually more expensive. Transmission is the smallest component by far. The ratios between the three are not consistent between off/mid/on peak. I don't know what the flat rate ratios are, because my billing rate is time-of-use due to late night EV charging.