Wisconsin Ag Connection - Co-ops Pushing to Keep Electricity Costs More Affordable

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

Co-ops Pushing to Keep Electricity Costs More Affordable
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/05/2009

Individual members of rural electric cooperatives have signed some 17,500 postcards addressed to Wisconsin's two U.S. Senators, asking them to take no action that will drive up the cost of electricity as the Senate debates climate legislation this fall. Most of the postcards were delivered to Washington, D.C. last week, as the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association rallied members from 25 states to demonstrate their concerns about 'cap-and-trade' legislation aimed at suppressing carbon dioxide emissions from electric power generation.

According to Cooperative Network, formerly known as the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, two bills are being considered in Congress this month. One, sponsored by Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey, narrowly passed the House of Representatives at the end of June. The other, by Senators Barbara Boxer and John Kerry was released in draft form Wednesday and awaits committee action.

Co-op leaders say both measures would impose a cap-and-trade regime phasing in increasingly expensive allowances for power generators to emit carbon dioxide. The most apparent difference between the two is that Waxman-Markey mandates a 17 percent emissions cut by 2020, while Boxer-Kerry calls for a 20 percent cut on the same timetable.

Both bills call for an 83 percent cut in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, requiring a massive redesign of the nation's electric generation infrastructure. The proposals aim to halt global warming, to which carbon dioxide is said to be a contributing factor.

"Worldwide temperature averages have been flat or falling slightly at least since the beginning of this decade, despite the steady growth of carbon dioxide emissions as developing nations increase generation capacity and other industrial processes," the group said in a press release. "Estimates of the additional energy costs resulting from the bills range from about $175 annually per average household if the government distributes all emission allowances free of charge, to slightly more than ten times that amount if all allowances are auctioned off, as proposed by the Obama administration."

Postcards delivered last week came from members served by 13 Wisconsin co-ops: Adams-Columbia, Barron, Central Wisconsin, Jump River, Oakdale, Oconto, Polk-Burnett, St. Croix, Taylor, and Vernon Electric Cooperatives; Dunn and Scenic Rivers Energy Cooperatives; and Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services.

Nationwide, NRECA reported a tally of more than 520,000 postcards sent to Senate offices.