Is There a Clean Energy Standard in Our Future? – Revisited

by Bill Chameides | May 18th, 2012
posted by Erica Rowell (Editor)

Yesterday’s post on the proposed Clean Energy Standard Act included the results of a study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Department of Energy’s statistical arm, which found that the bill would lead to an increase in average electricity rates of about 18 percent in 2035. That’s a little bit more than a study published this week in Nature Climate Change indicated the average American would be willing to pay were that same hike to appear on their electric bill.

Turns out it’s not that bad.

While electricity rates are projected to increase under the clean energy standard scenario modeled by EIA, this won’t necessarily translate to an increase on your energy bill. According to yesterday’s testimony by Energy Department officials before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the average household energy bill in 2035 would be about $5 lower than it was in 2010. (See video; relevant bit begins at about 43:40.)

Based on that understanding, the clean energy standard bill should sail through Congress unimpeded. Right?

filed under: faculty, policy, politics, renewable energy
and: clean energy, clean energy standard, Clean Energy Standard Act (S2146), renewables