19.5 cents per KWH is close to double the national average. That is outrageous.
It’s not because New England imports too much electricity from the spot market (17%). Calif. has the highest import rate (almost all) and Virginia is second at @ 50%. The problem in NE, as well as many other states, is the lack of permit approval for natural gas fracking, resource extraction, substations and pipelines for distribution. In short, too many EPA rules that increase project costs and retard development of new energy sources. It’s only going to get worse due to the IoT and obsession with mobile devices: by 2020 60 billion devices will connect to the Internet, according to IDC, which means more 24-hour data centers consuming larger and larger quantities of baseload fuel. We need more fossil fuel development - “alternative” sources like solar, hydro etc. will never produce enough electron conversion to keep pace with soaring electricity consumption. Gut the EPA and set energy companies loose to drill, frack, build and distribute. Our energy grid is a national security issue and must be revamped with new technology and aggressive private investment.