President's Carbon Emission Plan Would Force At Least 15 Percent Rate Increase for Co-ops

There is a misconception that power companies are against renewable energy and other "green" energy policies. It's simply not true.

For electric co-ops all over America, our No. 1 priority is to provide our members with the most affordable power possible. Co-ops have spent millions upon millions of dollars in recent years to fund hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, methane and other renewable energy sources as well as research and development of carbon capture technology and other R&D projects.

While the potential for renewable energy to provide an excellent source of electricity is very real, the cost to make it a reality today is going to be steep. Co-ops believe that government cap & trade programs on carbon emissions and mandates on renewable energy portfolios will place unrealistic goals and unfair burdens that will cause prices to increase dramatically.

You, our members, will be the ones that have to pay the extra price, and we don't think that needs to happen.

Co-ops are in favor of expanding the use of renewable energy sources, but we believe it should be done in a smart, calculated manner that will not cause the price of electricity to skyrocket.

We'll continue to follow events in Washington, D.C. and share any good reading we come across, starting with this story...

In a letter to President Obama, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Glenn English voiced strong objections to the Administration’s plan to auction the carbon emission allowances under a cap and trade scheme.

In the letter, English pointed out that “Such a program would only serve as a backdoor, variable tax on consumers. Even worse, the level of the tax would be determined by Wall Street and large multi-national energy companies who would likely be the highest bidders in any auction.”

The read more, and access a copy of Glenn English's letter to President Obama, visit www.nreca.org

The price of electricity

We got lots of questions (and a "few" complaints) about how much electricity costs and why it is so expensive.

Let me clarify — lots of people complain that their bill is too high, and they think the problem is that we (the power company) are charging too much. In reality, electricity is pretty darn cheap, and here in Alabama we pay right at or below that national average per kilowatt hour (check out the map.)

The biggest reasons people have high bills are because they waste a lot of electricity either through being careless (leaving appliances turned on all day) or have a leaky house that causes their heating and cooling system to work overtime.