Politicians are refusing to allow utility companies to build coal fired power plants due to the greenhouse gas scare. If they have to build natural gas fired electrical generation plants, won't the fuel cost double?
Mimi
Favorite Answer
Absolutely,
Public officials in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas have already denied several utilities permits to build coal fired plants that would generate cheap electricity for consumers.
It's ironic that these are big gas producing states that will benefit greatly from the expensive increase in natural gas sales.
If natural gas fired power plants are built instead of coal fired plants you can expect your electric bill to more than double regardless od how conservative you plan to be.
Keep in mind that wind energy is more expensive than coal fired electrical plants.
Most utilities, who burn coal (in the USA), have worked hard to install environmental controls to reduce emissions . They meet all the state and EPA regulations.
Consumers better get involved in what their elected officials are doing.
Ben O
Yes it's pretty much a given that any increase in the cost of generating electricity will be passed onto the consumer. It might be delayed, but it will get passed on.
Public utilities will build whatever is cheaper. If a coal plant is cheaper (and it usually is unless there is a gas field close by) they will have to do something more expensive instead.
Why don't they just build all power plants near gas fields? Because they would have to build the infrastructure to get the power to the consumers which someone has to pay for.
Tomcat
Yes your electric bill will most certainly go up in the future without more coal plants being built. And guess who will profit the most from this? Big oil, that's right, the global warming scare will cause more natural gas being used to replace coal and the major oil companies are laughing all the way to the bank.
John Sol
It depends on how much energy you use. If you replaced all your bulbs with low energy ones and insulated or whatever is done to use less air con, your bills may come down.
Besides, If you follow the scientific concensus, assuming you don't have the scientific knowledge and bloody mindedness not to, Then you would be making a small sacrifice for the rest of humanity.
If all energy prices go up then that will be reflected in the rest of the economy, and unless you use stacks of energy, you won't really notice.
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Thank you Nikki for sharing this very informative video of Obama's intent to "bankrupt" coal plants!