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EPA coal power cuts raise Americans’ electric bills as Obama advances his climate change agenda

EPA officials acknowledge a short-term bump in electric bills. Ms. McCarthy told business leaders last week that consumers can expect their bills to jump by a few dollars a month immediately after the Clean Power Plan takes effect.

But over time, she said, Americans’ bills will drop by as much as 8 percent.

“Not all carbon reduction strategies actually cost money,” Ms. McCarthy said. “We will not lose sight, as we do this final rule, with both the cost and benefits, particularly as it relates to the costs of electricity pricing for consumers and for businesses.”

The expected increase this summer will be relatively small. According to EIA figures from 2013 — the latest data available — the average American monthly electric bill was $111.08. The projected 4.8 percent increase would add about $5.33 to a household’s bill each month, or about $16 over the course of June, July and August.

Obama administration critics blame the EPA regulations, but some market analysts say a hot summer is the culprit. Indeed, EIA researchers predict that Americans will run their air conditioners more than they did last year.

The projected increases “most likely have something to do with the weather. Traditionally, price rates have been fairly flat year over year,” said Farah Saeed, principal consultant for energy and power systems at Frost & Sullivan.

The effects of Mr. Obama’s climate change regulations on electric bills could grow substantially as more coal power sources are shut down.

Utility industry leaders say about 73,000 megawatts of coal-fired generation will be shut down from 2010 to 2020 because of the EPA’s mercury and air toxic rules and other regulations.

If the Clean Power Plan goes into effect as scheduled, nearly 50,000 additional megawatts will be taken offline, the EPA predicts. Industry insiders say the true figures will be much higher.

On the global front, Mr. Obama and other members of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations recently committed to cutting worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2050 and phasing out fossil fuels by the end of the century.

Coal advocates say the president, as well as heads of state around the world, are making a grave error in thinking they can sustain economic growth without fossil fuels.

“Suggesting our world can move forward successfully without the use of fossil-fuel-based energy, including coal, would be ludicrous if it weren’t so dangerous,” said Laura Sheehan, senior vice president for communications at the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. “Our leaders, especially those in the G-7, must face facts and have the gumption to pursue common-sense energy policies that prioritize the very real needs of domestic and international populations for centuries to come.”

source: http://www.washingtontimes.com