THE LOW COST OF DOING BUSINESS

THE LOW COST OF DOING BUSINESS

When thinking about bocation ( or relocating) a business, the cost of doing so looms large -- or in the case of Kentucky, small. Kentucky has the second-lowest overall cost of doing business in the eastern U.S., according to the Web site Economy.com, while the update of The North American Business Cost Review, which measures the cost of doing business based on a State's Unit labour cost, tax burden and energy, ranks it as the fifth-lowest nationally in the overall cost of doing business. Just where does Kentucky's competitive edge lie?

For the sixth year in a row, the state, with its wealth of natural resources, has offered the lowest industrial electrical rates in America, averaging $0.033 per kilo watt-hour(kwh), compared to the national average of $ 0.053 per kwh, as noted by the U.S Energy Information Administration.

In addition to its competitive edge in energy costs, Kentucky's coal production (third in the nation for the past 50 years, producing upto 119 million tons in one year alone), plentiful water from the state's vast network of lakes, rivers and streams, and its extremely competitive natural gas prices ensure an abundant local supply of fuels to keep utility costs low.

Combine that with a wide range of tax and financial incentives and innovative licensing and marketing assistance programs, and never has such high qulity come at such a low cast. By issuing the state's first comprehensive energy strategy , geared to developing Kentucky's energy resources in a responsible manner while at the same time maintaining environmental integrity, Governor has taken steps to ensure the state's low cost energy future.