Does Congressman Snyder Support Higher Electricity Rates?

15 years ago

Arkansas electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure – even as recent estimates suggest Arkansas families could be among the hardest hit.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 2.9 percent of Arkansas’s power, which would have to increase by 415.5 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

“Though the Washington politics on cap-and-trade may be complicated,the local consequences of this policy could not be morestraight-forward,” said Thomas J. Pyle, president of the AmericanEnergy Alliance. “For it to work, and work properly, Americans’ energybills must go up – hard, fast, and forever. That means CongressmanSnyder has a clear choice to make: side with hard-working Arkansans andsmall businesses, or support out-of-the-mainstream, Washingtonspecial-interests.

“President Obama has said this legislation will ‘necessarily increase the cost of electricity.’By all accounts, increasing electricity costs in Arkansas, while smalltowns and working-class families continue to suffer, will devastatefamily budgets and force businesses to shut their doors.”

Currently, 34 states enforce so-called “renewable portfoliostandards” – Washington-speak for government-enforced mandates thatfavor less-affordable, less-reliable electricity. On average,residential electricity rates are 38 percent higher and industrialrates are 50 percent higher in these states.

“Arkansans deserve to know where Congressman Snyder stands on thiscritical issue,” continued Pyle. “Unfortunately, instead of focusing onexpanding American energy production, our lawmakers are intent onimposing the largest energy tax in history – yet another in a series ofheavy-handed policies that dictate, rather than let the marketdetermine, the types of energy we need for our homes and businesses.”

The American Energy and Security Act of 2009, whichincludes both a cap-and-trade regime and renewable electricity mandate,does not produce a single unit of energy and further weakens ournation’s overall energy security. The U.S. House is scheduled to voteon the legislation the week of June 22.