Jim,

>>>>If a governmental agency is able to produce power at a lower cost than private industry - more power to them (no pun intended). I'd bet that when someone posts an example if we were to do a little digging we'd find that they a) didn't pay taxes when private companies do (unfair competition right?) or the land they own doesn't pay taxes or they spread the actual expenses around to cover or mask the real costs.
>>>
>>>Not having to create a profit can drop cost dramatically.
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>>It has been pleasing to note that the Lincoln Electric System produces their own power and Lincoln has experienced constant or slightly decreasing electrical prices over the last ten years. LES says it doesn't see a need to raise prices in the next two or three years. Their service is excellent and the uptime is above 99.99%
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>>I bought a subscription to help pay for the two giant wind turbines now setting on the north edge of the city. I fully expect them to begin building Solar Power Tower II's in the near future. There is only an energy shortage if you chain yourself to fossil fuels. That beautful fusion reactor beaming down on us every day is pollution free!
>
>Too bad those Utah profs. were only pulling the world's leg when they announced "cold fusion".

*chuckle*

And they got what they deserved I think by the bad publicity. Utah (Salt Lake City) used to be the white collar fraud capital of the US. The locals, being highly conditioned to trust but sometimes short of verification were, as they say, easy pickins..

You need to trust but you need to verify. I'd love nothing more than to find folks willing to always act on their 'better nature' but the facts don't back that presumption up. Sadly so I might add. That's why we in the states have the checks & balances built into our Constitution and so forth. Even then you have a lot of manipulations - from all sides BTW.