On that chart it's nice to see that here in the Pac NW we still have almost 50% hydro power. The way the environmentalists have been lambasting hydro dams I wasn't sure our level was still as high as that. And the 22% coal is going to be gone I believe within 5 years. Add to that our relatively low electric rates, and you can see why my PHEV is so cost effective. Its cost per mile is better than my Passat TDI was, and if fuel prices start rising (a distinct possibility with the situation in the middle east) it's even better.
That said, I'm considering the possibility of teleworking more extensively, and moving further away from my office. I work with someone who lives in Spokane (eastern edge of WA) and files into Seattle one day a week, stays at a hotel for one night, then flies home after working the next day. He says it's cheaper than maintaining an apartment near work and driving home each weekend. But that's a 5+ hour drive under no-traffic or weather conditions. I'm looking at a town about 100 miles away from the office, and just driving across the mountains once a week (or once every two weeks if possible), unless the pass is closed for snow. For that trip I'd find a Golf or Jetta TDI. Driving my PHEV would cost just as little as a diesel (it gets about 60 MPG on engine power) but would rack up miles on a leased vehicle. Shoot, I'd even go with an older IDI diesel for a drive like that. But since I'd like heated seats and A/C, that more than likely means something new enough to be a TDI.