Mining from home is difficult because of high power costs. Talking to local utilities may not be the best way to get the lowest power costs. Talking to a development authority is a better place to start.
If they are backing the project they can help you move the project forward and provide you with other contacts needed for the project.
For small operations an option is renting an apartment that is all bills included. I have been criticized for utilizing this method. However, it is within the terms of the lease. The lease does not set a cap on usage, does not prohibit operating a business from the apartment, and does not have any other terms that prohibit what we are doing. Limitations to this plan are heat management, not being able to modify the structure, and you must be very careful to ensure you do not put others at risk due to fire.
Another consideration is the type of utility you approach. I worked for a municipal utility as a subcontractor for several years and got to know their operation well. They had much more flexibility in pricing because they produced their own electricity. As long as they were profitable it was sustainable for them. Also, they trade electricity on a commodity market. They have licensed traders on staff 24/7/365. We built them a kitchen and their own bathroom so they never had to leave. Therefore going below wholesale prices would be very difficult.
I recently watched a mini documentary on a remote company town in Canada. It has its own Hydro electric plant, and a crypto company bought rights to 2/3rds of their power. Opportunities like this are rare. The electricity has no market outside of the existing town, yet must operate because the town still has residents.
This main issue with this approach is the cost of the rent is often higher then the cost of electricity. Other concerns is if you are using ASICs the noise can get you evicted ending what you are trying to do. Also you should check the lease many of them have clauses that doing a business in one is not allowed. Additionally, many cities have ordinances that prohibit business from running From property like this or maybe required special permits or licenses.
People frown upon this because the landlord is expecting a normal rebate usage. Not the use of a Commericial type of business.
Maybe if this was a Commericial building that included the power costs, people may frown less on the idea.
Around 4 cent power is above the wholesale power price most places. I agree the utilities have greater flexibility in the price for power. This issues is more of the other costs associated with the power, the transmission, distribution, utility profit, and taxes.
In many places the wholesale power market prices are typically between $20 and $35 a MWH. But after you add all the tariffs and other charges the prices raises significantly. So around 4 cents a KW is a decent price.
To get it lower requires other things be done to accomplish and it is not something a smaller farm would consider. Volume discounts or the upfront purchase of power generation equipment or the building of a transmission power line substation. The cost to do this is much greater and finding a company to host your equipment is a better choice most of the time.