The Kansas City Star reports
Some Missouri residents and businesses soon could see a new charge on their electric bills — a fee for using less energy.
Here is how the scheme works:
The assumption is that charging consumers for those initiatives ultimately will cost less than charging them to build the new power plants that will be needed if electricity use isn’t curtailed.
Uhhh.....
Uhhh..... Okay, how much more are you going to charge exactly to deter power usage to such a degree that a new power plant will not have to be built?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that energy-saving programs offered by utilities will add about 3 percent to the average electricity rates. But it says customers who participate in the programs could save 10 percent to 20 percent on their energy bills, and even those who don’t participate might save if utilities don’t have to buy more energy or build new power plants.
3 percent? 3 PERCENT? That's going to deter significant amounts of electrical usage?
How's this really going to work?
“To save power is the equivalent of making power,” Nixon [that's Governor Jay Nixon] said, “and it’s a pretty seismic shift” in Missouri’s energy strategy.
Oh I get it. They're going to use the rate increase to build giant batteries, probably underground re the "seismic" reference. Then, when usage increases (you know, what with global cooling coming and all) they will just plug us into these giant batteries.
Riiiiiiight.
“It’s one of those rare utility bills that actually works out to everyone’s benefit,” said Missouri Public Counsel Lewis Mills, the state’s official consumer advocate.
Jimminy Christmas. Who, exactly, is "everyone"? Lets see.
The power companies win. They get to raise rates for no immediately obvious reason. (Don't they usually call that Price Gouging?) It's money in the bank, today, for them. And boy howdy, are they going to need it.
Public Service Commission Chairman Robert M. Clayton III said he feared that Missouri’s heavily coal-dependent electric customers will see a sharp spike in rates if federal climate legislation limiting carbon emissions becomes law.
Yeah, I think the power companies are watching the sun too. I'm betting they're NOT betting on global warming.
Oh yeah. The power companies also win because, let's face it, they will be building new coal plants in the future or face massive power shortages. And it will be expensive, and they will raise rates, and the ePetatics (e for environmental) (the god king included) will make it hell to build a new coal plant. It will be very expensive.
So who gets screwed? We do. We pay now, and we will most assuredly pay later. In fact, you could say us Middle Americans are getting doubly, triply screwed because we don't have nuclear plants, or hydro power. All we have is coal. And cap-and-trade.
There is no "me" in "Everyone".
Mike Williams wrote a pretty good summary over at Master of None.
As a final dig, the legislation will require the savings fee to be a separate line item on your bill.
'But I don’t want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can’t help that,' said the Cat. 'We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.'
'How do you know I’m mad?' said Alice.
'You must be,” said the Cat. 'or you wouldn’t have come here.' - Lewis Carroll
As someone said, 'Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change."
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