Electricity costs soar
Steve Orr, Staff writer
Some Rochester-area consumers, especially those served by low-cost municipal power utilities, may be in for a bit of sticker shock: The cost of electricity is up, in some cases by a lot.
The rise in residential electric prices — 20 percent to 30 percent or more over the last month or so — is due to a surge in use caused by bone-chilling cold weather, and by a concomitant spike in the price of natural gas.
Between a third and a half of the electricity consumed in the state is generated by burning natural gas, which recently hit a five-year high in price.
"It's a pretty unique situation, and a lot of it is driven by the natural gas costs. They had to call on natural gas generators to meet demand, and the cost to produce that power was at an all-time high," said Owen McIntee, superintendent of the Spencerport village electric utility. "Unfortunately, that trickles down, doesn't it?"
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/money/business/2014/02/21/electricity-costs-soar/5708113/