Dear Editor,
With the U.S. Senate scheduled to begin debate on the climate change (Cap & Trade) bill after the Labor Day recess, it is time for the electric consumers in Southern Illinois to mobilize in opposition to the bill.
Although supporters of Cap & Trade point to its success in reducing sulfur and nitrogen emissions, carbon emissions are a completely different animal.
The reason it won’t work for carbon is simple, technology is not available to deal with carbon while it was with sulfur and nitrogen.
The Cap & Trade bill being debated requires carbon emitting utilities to begin purchasing carbon credits in the stock market in 2012 while most people concede that carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) will not be available until at least 2020, if at all.
Although the actual cost of CCS is unknown, most experts believe that it will cost at least $100/per metric ton. Translating this into electricity costs, $100/metric ton equals approximately 8 cents per kwh. With the cost of electricity for most residents in Southern Illinois currently above 10 cents/kwh, this means an eventual cost increase of 80%. Ask yourself this question, if the cost per metric ton for CCS is $100/ton, what will the cost of carbon credits be when traded by market speculators? I think $99/ton.
Whether you believe the science of global warming is real or not, our legislators need to deal with it in an economically responsible manner.
By the way, the potential impact on electricity costs doesn’t just impact your electric bill, but everything you buy that takes electricity to produce, from a doughnut to an automobile.
When utilities are required to begin purchasing carbon credits, I assure you it will be passed through directly to you, the consumers of electricity. This is all about the consumers of electricity in Southern Illinois stepping forward to help themselves.
Along with this article is an “Immediate Call to Action” cutout in this issue of the newspaper
We urge you to fill it out, copy it, etc. and return it to the cooperative as soon as possible. Our goal is to hand deliver them to each of our U.S. Senator’s offices.
The time is now for you to participate in the debate. This is a serious issue that can affect every consumer, not just Wayne-White Cooperative members. Please make your voice heard.
For greater impact, we also recommend that you telephone the U.S. Senator’s offices. The more contacts, the more impact you can have. Senator Burris has a Springfield office at (217) 492-5089. Senator Durbin is at (217) 492-4062. Thanks for your concern and your cooperation.
Daryl Donjon
Wayne-White Electric Cooperative, Manager/CEO
