Cost of Electricity Rising Like Summer Heat

The higher cost is not a good sign for the economy. Paying for the extra kilowatt hours will hit consumer pocketbooks later this summer or early in the fall – one of the peak retail periods, when many families could be wandering the aisles for back-to-school purchases. And the cost of beating the heat is especially difficult for senior citizens and the poor, prompting calls for federal emergency funds.

In a normal summer, electric bills rise as individuals use more air conditioning. But this summer has been so hot that to meet the soaring demand, many utilities have had to turn to more expensive power plants, known as “peak generating plants.” Instead of relying on coal or nuclear fuel, many of these power producers use more expensive oil or natural gas to power their turbines.

“Usually, they are the last to run,” says George Lewis, a spokesman for PPL in Allentown, Pa., which has turned on its peaking units.
Christian Science Monitor