[Cob] New to cob; particular question re: bringing electricity to a cob structure

[Andrew John Martinson]

Hello,

My wife and I are researching alternative living/building with the aim of building a small cob cottage in Oregon's mid-Willamette valley.  She has experience building with cob at her school in Portland, and my intention is to take some classes in cob construction (to augment what I've been learning from books, the web, etc) through Cob Cottage Company.

Of the myriad questions I have, one has to do with bringing electricity to a cob structure.  Though we are considering (and trying to learn more about) solar PV, wind, microhydro, etc., we realize that we may want to have utilities to our property.  I believe that bringing municipal utilities such as electricity to a building and site invites beurocracy and expense, but could anyone give me A) a rough (or specific) charge for such a hookup, and/or B) anecdotal experience of such an effort?  Perhaps if we purchased land with a pre-existing structure that was wired (and plumbed) we could renovate that electrical system to bring power to the cob structure.

Thank you.

Andrew