The chart below shows the increase in residential electricity prices by state between August 2009 and August 2014:
Although Washington, D.C. has seen prices drop 14% in that period — go figure — most of the states have seen prices go up 15%-25% or more. And this is before the costliest of the proposed regulations have even kicked in. According to a report recently prepared by the Virginia State Corporation Commission, a state agency which oversees the regulation of public utilities,
Complying with the EPA’s proposed carbon emission rules would likely cost Dominion Virginia Power customers alone an extra $5.5 billion to $6 billion, the State Corporation Commission’s staff said in an unusually bluntly worded statement.
The EPA’s proposed regulations would “increase substantially” the bills that all 3.6 million Virginia electricity customers pay for their power, the commission staff said, and could significantly affect the reliability of electric service.
The SCC staff anticipates electricity bills would go up significantly because the federal rules would require much of today’s electricity production be replaced with costly generation and expensive programs to decrease energy use.
“Those higher costs will be reflected in the electric bills paid by customers,” said the commission’s staff, emphasizing that statement with italic type.(BACQUÉ, 2014)
The current U.S. president promised in 2008 to make electricity rates skyrocket. I would say he’s well on his way.
BACQUÉ, P. (2014, October 16). SCC says EPA carbon plan could raise power bills in Va. “substantially” Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.timesdispatch.com/business/energy/scc-says-epa-carbon-plan-could-raise-power-bills-in/article_aeb9ac4d-4f7a-57f0-98ee-214a9e0af448.html