News
EPA proposal could put electric supplies in danger
Reliable and affordable electric supplies could be in danger with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed regulations for greenhouse gas emissions from new coal-fired plants. Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association says the proposed regulations would remove coal-fired electricity generation from the mix of options that create a reliable electric grid.
She says these proposed regulations would be costly to Hoosiers, “We are member owned – our customers are our members. Every expense we have has to be passed on to our coop members because we don’t make profits. It’s quite possible that electric bills could rise by 20%, 30%, and even 50% in some areas.”
Emerson tells Brownfield a rise in electric costs could also affect the bottom line for farmers. “Our farmers utilize a lot of electricity,” she says. “For example, because of irrigation. Anything that is going that’s going to increase our inputs for farmers is going to be a big problem. Our producers are the only people who pay the full prices for all of their inputs and then get a wholesale price at the end.”
Currently between 80 and 90 percent of all electricity produced in Indiana is generated from coal.
Indiana’s electric cooperatives have generated more than 27,000 public comments on the proposed rules for new coal-fired plants. EPA is expected to release another set of proposed rules in early June directed at existing plants.
AUDIO: JoAnn Emerson, NRECA (9:20mp3)
It seems the federal bureaucracies (EPA, USDA, ESA, etc.) are determined to regulate the citizenry to death, no matter how much it costs (hey, it doesn’t come out of their pockets). And the fines assessed for not meeting their deadlines are outrageous in many cases (even against small businesses e.g., the APHIS attempt to fine a small rabbitry, the Dollarhites, an outrageous amount of money–they backed off after legislators came to the aid of the beleaguered small breeders). The federal government has been insidiously increasing its power over people (rather than deriving its power from the people) over the past few decades. Being environmentally conscious is being responsible, but some of these proposed regulations are really over the top, costing more and yielding less benefits—but then, isn’t that how the federal government seems to work?