March 2009 Commentary
Weathering the legislative storm
by Bruce Graham
CEO of Indiana Statewide Association
of RECs, Inc.
Storm clouds have been brewing lately — on two fronts, actually. While snow and ice storms ravaged the state in late-January, a storm over energy issues is erupting over Capitol Hill. At the heart of the storm: promises by Congressional leaders that they will move “quickly and decisively” to push legislation curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
Though Indiana weather is notoriously unpredictable, when it comes to climate change legislation we’ve known the storm was coming for the past year. We’ve been monitoring impending legislation because we’re acutely aware that decisions made by Congress will impact you squarely where you literally can’t afford to be impacted: in the wallet.
The legislation’s financial impact on consumers didn’t enter the conversation when climate change legislation was first considered. It took electric cooperatives such as yours — and consumers — to inform our nation’s leaders that environmental legislation could make electricity unaffordable to millions of Americans already struggling in a troubled economy.
Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, believes — as I do — that some climate mandate will pass during this congressional session. It’s highly likely that after the economic stimulus measures are approved, lawmakers will start working on a combination energy and climate change bill, in part to pay for the economic stimulus package.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in fact, was quoted in the “San Francisco Chronicle” as saying “We see (carbon) as a source of revenue ... Cap-and-trade (emissions trading to reduce emissions of pollutants) is there for a reason. You cap and you trade so you can pay for some of these investments in energy independence and renewables.”
Thanks to grassroots involvement of electric cooperative members and concerned citizens throughout the country who have contacted their congressional representatives through the “Our Energy, Our Future” campaign, our legislators are listening to our concerns about how climate change legislation will affect everyone’s electric bills. We definitely have a spot at the table when critical decisions are made regarding legislation.
English, representing all electric cooperative consumers, has been busy articulating our concerns to various government task forces, as well as President Obama’s energy team. He encouraged the president’s advisors to think about all economic sectors, to consider the need for new power plants to meet increased electrical demand, and to end uncertainties about regulation and costs.
I urge you to continue to keep in contact with your elected officials and ask that when they vote on energy legislation, their decisions will ensure electricity is affordable and reliable. Log on to www.ourenergy.coop to continue your participation in the “Our Energy, Our Future” campaign. It only takes a few minutes of your time to make a far-reaching difference.
Meanwhile, those of us in the electric co-op industry are at the forefront in the development of new technology and commonsense solutions to keeping your energy bills as low as possible.
Electric cooperatives have a track record of adapting to difficult situations and finding solutions when challenges face us. One aspect of that is reflected in this month’s cover story on the new National Renewables Cooperative Organization based right here in Indiana. Ingenuity is synonymous with the industry and we are leaders in the field when it comes to advanced metering deployment, demand response, and efficiency and conservation efforts.
By working together, we can weather the storm in Congress just as successfully as we handle what Mother Nature brings our way.
Written By: eceditor
Date Posted: 2/26/2009
Number of Views: 647
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