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This works because of Germany's high electric rates, $0.30/kWh in 2014. The waste to energy plants get about 500kWh/ton of garbage, or $150 of electrical energy. They can pay $50/ton and make a profit work out.

I'm curious, what makes the German electrical rate so high? Is it taxes guiding the market toward renewables and ecologically friendly sources? Perhaps a regulatory induced shortfall of production? Maybe a happy oligopoly?

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Here's a char that shows what goes into electricity prices in Germany: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Strompreis-zusammensetzu...

25% is electricity generation, 23% is transmission and bookkeeping, 7% electricity tax, 16% sales tax, 21% EEG-Umlage (renewables reallocation charge), 6% concession levy, and <2% other taxes.

So if you add up all the taxes and levies, they make up half the cost (52%).

Ha! Char. I love it! =)

That's the price for private costumers, price for commercial users is lower and what producers get is even lower except in high demand times.

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