■ hot topics Co-ops Await EPA Ruling
On Power Plant Emissions For consumers, it could mean higher costs ahead
A
s Choctaw Electric Cooperative members acted to reclaim control of their cooperative, electric co-op members nationwide united in protest against Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that if enacted could significantly increase electricity costs. EPA issued its regulations on existing power plants on June 2, 2014, asking states to submit plans for meeting the stricter CO2 emission requirements.
While electric co-ops support efforts to protect the environment, they frown on the EPA’s lack of concern for the more immediate consequences of compliance—namely, higher electricity costs. Forcing power plants to meet emission goals by 2020 does not provide enough time to make necessary plant upgrades. Furthermore, financial plans must be adjusted to incorporate these billion dollar tune ups in a responsible manner, co-op leaders say. Electric co-ops urged their members to protest the proposed regulations by emailing legislators and EPA officials. Over one million co-op members responded by logging on to
www.action.coop, learning about the issue, and joining the campaign.
After hearing testimony from industry leaders for the past year, the EPA is expected to release its final rules on greenhouse gas limits this month. If the EPA fails to extend its deadline for meeting emission regulations, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely rule on the question. Meanwhile, the clock ticks for power plants that must continue to invest in upgrading their facilities to meet the deadline, or gamble on a favorable Supreme Court ruling by doing nothing.
Watch your newsletter for more details on the EPA regulations, or visit
www.action.coop.
EPA regulations on coal-fired power plants in the US will push generating facilities to make expensive upgrades to their facilities, or shut them down altogether. Coal produces 41 percent of the electricity used in Oklahoma.
Where Your Dollar Goes
Getting electricity from the power plant to your home so you can enjoy it 24/7 takes money. While the figures represented here are the national average, they are a fair representation of generation and transmission costs in Oklahoma. In short, only 33 to 37 cents of every dollar you pay to Choctaw Electric is used by the co-op. The rest goes to the wholesale electricity provider to cover the cost of generating and transmitting electricity to CEC facilities.
COST OF FUEL AND OTHER ENERGY RESOURCES 30¢
TRANSMISSION- 13¢ DISTRIBUTION TO
POWER PLANT S 20¢
HOMES & BUSINESSES 37¢
inside•your•co-op | 7
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