This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
LEGISLATIVE Look


A look at what’s happening on


Capitol Hill and how it aff ects you


Don’t let the U.S. become the next Germany


Agency’s (EPA) energy plan goes too far, too fast, jeopardizing the wellbeing of millions of American families in the process — including members of OEC. Unless sidelined, the proposal will force our nation down the road to more expensive energy — but don’t just take our word for it. [1820133202] T e German government spent


L


the past 10 years changing its energy portfolio by government fi at, and it has cost consumers dearly. To boost the expansion of renewable energy production, the German government taxed consumers heavily through fees on their electric bills. In the end, Germany did see expanded renewable energy production, but they also saw extremely high electric bills.


ike an out-of-control carnival ride, the Environmental Protection


In the wake of the proposal,


German residential consumers pay approximately 40 cents US/kWH, compared to about 11 cents for American residential customers. While the Germans raised


their rates to pay for clean energy, Germany’s use of coal is actually at its highest level since 1990. Germany’s renewable subsidies did have some impact on the nation’s CO2 emissions; those reductions cost them a mind boggling $259/ton. According to Der Spiegel, a


German news magazine, more than 300,000 German households a year see their power shut off because of unpaid bills — forcing electricity to become a luxury good and spawning what German charity groups call the ‘energy poor.’ Make no mistake, the EPA’s


proposal picks winners and losers and sets the U.S. down the path


that’s been paved by Germany. In addition to fundamentally altering how Americans use electricity, the proposal will trigger higher prices for many consumers and local businesses. Supporting the environment and


a true all-of-the-above energy policy are not mutually exclusive. America’s electric cooperatives recognize a true all-of-the-above energy policy provides a gateway to aff ordable and reliable electricity for their consumer- members. In fact, since 2009, electric


cooperatives have doubled their renewable energy capacity and have made long-term investments in wind, solar and hydro energy production (without German-style mandated fees). Visit www.action.coop today and


help us tell the EPA the U.S. can’t aff ord to become the next Germany.


This article was written and provided by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.


Call 321-2024 if you


experience an outage or interruption in service


23


WWW.OKCOOP.ORG


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162