Oddly enough, a classical guitar, and (even some classical guitar lessons) are probably a better place to begin for the aspiring electric guitarist than a steel string acoustic guitar.

The reason is simple--scales. Classical guitarists learn scales in positions up and down the neck. Electric guitarists play a lot of single note stuff, up and down the neck. People who start out on steel string acoustic guitars tend to learn to play open block chords, which don't really tend to be that interesting on electric guitar.

It is possible to learn to play on an electric guitar, and there are some reasonable, inexpensive ones out there--the thing is(and I know this has been said, but it bears repeating) that there is too much extraneous stuff going on with an electric guitar--chords, amp, tone, volume, pickup configuration--a beginner needs to focus, multitasking, at the beginning, can be an unsurmountable barrier--