A Feasibility Study - Aaltodoc - Aalto-yliopisto

Cost of electricity ($/kWh)
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0
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Figure 11. Cost of electricity from a diesel generator (Sivola 2012).
4.5 The United States (mainland and Hawaii)
The United States is a major producer and user of energy. The production palette of
electricity is diverse in the US, with 41 % being produced by coal, 23 % by natural gas,
19 % with nuclear and 12,5 % with hydro power and other renewable sources. The
remaining 4,5 % are produced mainly by petroleum products. Overall, 70 % of
electricity is produced with fossil fuels on the mainland and 89 % in Hawaii (EIA
2012a, EIA 2012c).
Electricity prices vary geographically in the United States, but the prices are fairly low,
for instance when compared to the prices in Finland (see Table 2). The general level of
electricity price on the mainland US is 11,5 US cents/kWh (EIA 2012a). An exception
is Hawaii, where electricity prices are high. On average, electricity costs 25 – 37 US
cents/kWh (EIA 2012c), varying between island to island (HECO 2010).
4.6 Canary Islands (Spain)
Fuel price ($/MWh)
The Canary Islands rely heavily on imported fuels for its energy production. In 2007
imported fossil fuels covered over 99 % of the primary energy needs while renewables
produced only less than 1 % (Marrero, Ramos-Real 2010). Fossil fuels counted on 94 %
of the electricity production (Consejeria de Empleo, Industria y Comercio 2006).
Electricity usage in each island has increased substantially during the last decades. Also,
each island typically has its own electrical system and only the islands of Fuerteventura
and Lanzarote are connected (Perez, Ramos Real 2008).
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1 MW
9 MW
100 MW