American Power Plants Slapped Down

Whilst everyone else worries about the second-day arguments before SCOTUS regarding ObakaKare, one heinous point slipped through:

The first step in CapNTax.

From Reuters.com:

Government proposes first carbon limits on power plants

(Reuters) - The Obama administration proposed on Tuesday the first rules to cut carbon dioxide emissions from new U.S. power plants, a move hotly contested by Republicans and industry in an election year.

The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal would effectively stop the building of most new coal-fired plants in an industry that is moving rapidly to more natural gas. But the rules will not regulate existing power plants, the source of one third of U.S. emissions, and will not apply to any plants that start construction over the next 12 months.

Note: "Effectively STOP THE BUILDING of most new coal-fired plants."

Mr Obama made it quite clear that he was gunning for coal, that he wanted to bankrupt the coal-fired electrical generation industry. Said on January 17th of 2008 in a San Francisco Chronicle interview:

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I've said with respect to coal, I haven't been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a (sic) ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It's just that it will bankrupt them.

In that vein, from the Chicago Tribune:

Consumers could see their electricity bills jump an estimated 40 to 60 percent in the next few years.

The reason: Pending environmental regulations will make coal-fired generating plants, which produce about half the nation's electricity, more expensive to operate. Many are expected to be shuttered.

The increases are expected to begin to appear in 2014, and policymakers already are scrambling to find cheap and reliable alternative power sources. If they are unsuccessful, consumers can expect further increases as more expensive forms of generation take on a greater share of the electricity load.

Back in 2011, the Chicago Tribune already predicted skyrocketing electric bills because of coal-fired electrical generation stations being under the governmental gun:

Consumers' electric bills likely to spike as coal plants close

As stricter environmental regulations approach, some power generators are choosing to shutter their coal-fired plants.

June 11, 2011|By Julie Wernau, Tribune reporter

Consumers could see their electricity bills jump an estimated 40 to 60 percent in the next few years.

The reason: Pending environmental regulations will make coal-fired generating plants, which produce about half the nation's electricity, more expensive to operate. Many are expected to be shuttered.

This is nothing more than Mr Obama having his way and providing more political power to the EPA than anyone ever imagined, usurping the logic and rationality from local agencies and kicking it up to a federal level that, simply, cannot be touched or questioned.

In the meantime, in the seeking of some Sylvan Utopia, if the elderly or the infants die due to extreme cold or heat, no big deal. It's just a transition stage; get used to it.

On the other hand, do you see this nation beginning to truly mine and tap its vast natural gas reserves? Why, that would be a resounding NO -- because of the Religious Left.

This country is under physical assault, ladies and gentlemen. Under incredible assault.

Now, the Religious Left have decided we can have no wind power because it kills birds.

Nothing works, ladies and gentlemen.

Nothing solves.

We can, essentially, per the Religious Left, make NO electricity because each and every way is bad and evil.

Then: what are the final options? What do you leave us?

BZ