Just remember, “under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket” (full quote at Newsbusters)
Utility giant American Electric Power said Thursday that it will shut down five coal-fired power plants and spend billions of dollars to comply with a series of pending Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
The company’s dramatic plan to comply with the regulations could give Republicans and moderate Democrats ammunition in their ongoing fight against EPA’s efforts to impose new regulations aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants including mercury and arsenic.
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) immediately pounced on AEP’s announcement.
“This is a perfect example of the EPA implementing rules and regulations without considering the devastating impact they may have on local economies and jobs,†Capito said.
And with each plant closed with nothing to take its place, costs to the consumer go up.
Cost to the consumer??? How about availabilty of energy to begin with. The purpose of the plants is to keep up with demand. If we don’t have enough source, then we will have black outs.
But, I am sure that Obama and group have thought through the consequences of their policies, just like they have for the financial institutions (which they admitted they have not and which are beginning to fail big time).
The fact is that either Obama is extremely stupid, or else is purposely trying to destroy our country.
And, so it begins.
Chicago has already had blackout. And now, the plants will begin to close.
Thank you democrats!!
I was going to write about this but I figured you would get to it.
The fact of the matter is that government regulations are bi-partisan. They are in place at the urging from both parties.
One of the biggest issues that we have to face is these unelected officials making laws without oversight or accountability. Once on the books, the regulations are much harder to remove, and because the morons that made them are long gone, each party will blame the other when it is actually the fault of both.
Oh, I agree Gitarcarver and I did not mean to imply that this was the entire fault of Democrats.
As I like to point out that many of our ills are due to liberalism.
One is never amazed when we hear of a liberal in the Democrat party. In fact, when a conservative in the Democrat (not democratic – my pet-peeve) party, then that is an oddity. Conversely, conservatism is expected in the Republican party. Liberals are the minority and are often made fun of.
So, when I stated Democrats above, I was hyping liberalism. Thus, if you elect a Republican, you have a greater chance of placing a Conservative into office. If you vote Democrat, then you will most certainly institute liberal policies that will only cause harm to this country.
“The fact is that either Obama is extremely stupid, or else is purposely trying to destroy our country.”
Both and this is the fault of both parties, nothing less. Now we will have the loss of how many jobs, and the loss of a lot of power. You can bet the mullah in the White House is grinning from mega ear to mega ear while he he is out on the golf course. We are so shooting ourselves in both feet and truly sliding down the that ever increasing slippery slope to a second or third rate country unless the people who vote the asshat politicians wake up and see what is REALLY happening to this country. Gas is not going back down very much and will not, now utilities from coast to coast are set to start increasing even more than they have been. This is what this administration wants to do, get the American people ‘used to higher prices’ and that is exactly what they are doing.
And the power from these plants will be replaced by what? Importing power from China, India, Venezuela which the asswipe Obama wants to help bankroll that country’s offshore oil drilling?
I totally agree that both parties are to blame. In fact, the only real difference between the two seems to be the subject of abortion. Otherwise, they basically have the same platform, just differenct time scales.
That is why I don’t think that elections are going to get the job done. I personally know and have worked with my Congressional rep., he was in Washington 6 months and already has forgotten why he is there. And then look at the Republican leadership having a golf game with Obama! As fare as I am concerned, we are at war with these guys and I want leadership that is mean and is willing to kick ass. They should be up there working 24/7 to erase the last 30 years of regulations.
As far as the EPA, get rid of them. And the TSA, the Homeland insecurity, the DEA, the AFT, the labor board, dept of labor, dept of education, and so on. Imagine the savings, the rush of freedom would be a relief to our country.
One has to wonder how much “green energy” is going to cost to cover the 6000 megawatts of lost production.
In that the government has earmarked $100 billion for green energy and research, I would suspect that replacing the lost power is going to cost a lot more.
Oh, I agree Gitarcarver and I did not mean to imply that this was the entire fault of Democrats.
Didn’t take it that way Cap’n. I knew what you meant. :)
[…] If You Like Your Coal, You Can Keep Your Coal. Or Not. Utility giant American Electric Power said Thursday that it will shut down five coal-fired power plants and spend billions of dollars to comply with a series of pending Environmental Protection Agency regulations. […]
This concept of “green energy” needs to be explored. To my knowledge, there isn’t a source of “green energy” that can replace what we currently have. I don’t know of any pending research that can do the same either. So when the pols say they want green energy, they are basically saying “screw you, you will have less and have to pay more for it”.
Wow could the EPA leave companies alone for once. The administration while doing its job correctly is doing the exact opposite of what it promises. Jobs! Closing the plants means more people unemployed. The coal plants are providing reliable electric power sources and electric power to hundreds of people everyday across the country. Coal is our number 1 energy production in the US but we sell most of it to China when it be cheaper to just keep it here and use it ourselves. It costs us less that 5 cents to run a microwave for 1 hour off coal power but we’d rather send the coal to China for the money they offer. It doesn’t make since to close plants when your opening new ones like the surry coal plant in virginia. Anyways great article and sad to see Obama get his way again.