Beating the Dead Renewable Energy Horse
I don’t know if you guys knew this, but I’ve done a bit of work regarding the upcoming Proposition C. Cough. Cough.
Well, as you might already know, Prop C — also known as the Missouri Renewable Energy Initiative — would require Ameren, Empire, and KC Power & Light to produce 15 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2021, with a 1-percent rate increase cap.
Surprisingly, there has been little to no opposition to this measure. Even KCP&L has endorsed it, while Empire and Ameren have remained surprisingly neutral. Well, the Springfield Business Journal has posted a great article this week detailing the support and limited opposition to the law. Spoiler alert: A certain Show-Me Institute intern is interviewed near the end of the article. This article is as cool as the Fonz, Bart Simpson, Steve Holt, Chester Cheetah, and Batman rolled into one.
here is what I wrote about prop C on the only other forum I frequent:
this will require investor owned utility cos in Mo, including ameren UE, to use 15% renewable energy by 2021. it does not require govt utility cos to do anything new. I recommend voting NO.
there is no need for govt to mandate a given level of renewable energy use. requiring utilities to use any given percentage of renewable energy will increase utility costs, bc today in 2008, it is an indisputable fact that solar/wind/bio energy produces less electricity per dollar than coal/nat-gas. the energy market may look a lot different in 2021, but that is speculation, and does not change the fact that this law WILL increase your utility bill today, if implemented. ok, so maybe you think its worth the price increase to protect the environment. lets say for the sake of argument that renewable energy produces zero pollution. that means when the private utility cos eventually comply w the law, they will only produce .85 as much pollution per electricity unit they sell as they do now. you could achieve the same result by simply reducing your electricity consumption by 15%, and not to have pay a higher per-unit cost for the electricity. so if missourians really care about the environment, they could voluntarily reduce consumption. I submit that most missourians dont really care, and do not want to reduce consumption, and dont understand that their costs will go up under this plan.
also Prop C is touted as a great source of creating jobs. do not let this claim influence your decision. the govt can, and has in the past, literally paid ppl to dig ditches, and then refill them. just bc govt tells somebody to do something and gives them money for it, does not necesarily mean a “job” has been created. unless the employee is being paid by someone who is spending their own money, and does not have access to taxpayers, we do not know if they are being used efficiently, or if its just welfare in disguise. so ignore ‘job creation’ claims, when deciding if the law is a good idea or not.
lastly, it is suspicious that this law will only effect private companies, not govt utilities who are in the same industry.
Comment by vroman — October 30, 2008 @ 2:44 a.m.