GADSDEN TIMES GUEST COMMENTARY: Aderholt

Rep. Robert Aderholt wrote the following column criticizing Cap & Trade legislation in Thursday’s edition of the Gadsden Times newspaper

THE GADSDEN TIMES

GUEST COMMENTARY: REP. ROBERT ADERHOLT
Cap and trade a hidden national energy tax
Thursday, June 25, 2009

As Congress considers the infamous “Cap and Trade” or “Energy Tax” legislation this month, it’s important for Alabamians and all Americans to know clearly what is at stake.

At first glance, this legislation, titled “The American Clean Energy and Security Act”, sounds like a good idea. The bill’s supporters claim that it will encourage clean and efficient electric energy, but the truth is that “Cap and Trade” legislation would simply be a hidden national energy tax that will harm our economy, especially during a recession.

Democrat Rep. John Dingell said it best in April when he admitted to his committee, “Nobody in this country realizes that cap and trade is a tax… and it’s a great big one.” Even the President admitted that this energy plan would cause energy prices to “necessarily skyrocket,” and that the cost would be passed on to consumers.

On May 21st, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee approved this “Cap & Trade” bill, but the Speaker of the House has been hesitant to bring it to the floor for a vote because the American people have made their voices heard in opposition to a hidden energy tax.

In reality, this legislation sets unrealistic government mandates that will harm many Americans. There are so many problems with this bill that I don’t even know where to start.

Most people don’t realize that the Renewable Electricity Standards included in this bill would impose a requirement that power companies obtain a certain percentage of the electricity they sell from what the bill defines as "renewable" sources. Unfortunately, the Southeast is not blessed with what the bill does define as “renewable” energy in large quantities, like wind, solar, geothermal, and limited biomass.

Southern states like Alabama will be forced to purchase expensive renewable fuel credits and the cost will inevitably have to be passed along to the consumer in the form of higher utility rates. For the millions of customers of the Alabama utility companies, the cost of the proposed Renewable Electricity Standards would be more than $200 million annually by 2020.

Every time Americans flip on a light switch, they will pay more than they are paying right now. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the U.S. cap-and-trade program will cost America $22 billion annually by 2020, and this is a very conservative estimate.

Not to mention, the citizens of Alabama and our nation would be faced with large increases in energy prices due to the carbon cap and trade provisions in this bill.

The Washington-based Heritage Foundation estimates that because of higher energy prices, the average per-family-of-four costs will rise by thousands per year, due to increased utility costs and indirect expenses like increased grocery costs. Lower income families already struggling the most are those who will be hit the hardest by these hidden taxes.

Trying to create a clean environment is important, but Alabamians do not deserve forced government mandates like “Cap & Trade”. Therefore I’ve co-sponsored “The American Energy Act”, a bill that would help reduce the price of energy by exploring new technologies and energy sources, including clean-coal technology, natural gas, untapped oil fields, nuclear energy, and hydroelectric power, while also encouraging greater conservation and efficiency.

Most would agree that Washington should create comprehensive energy solutions that focus on lessening our dependence on foreign oil. However, “Cap & Trade” will set unrealistic government mandates that will only harm our economy even further, and that’s why this legislation is obviously not the answer.

Congressman Robert Aderholt serves Alabama’s Fourth District in the House of Representatives.