Archive for May, 2009
The Cap & Trade Bill Is Going To Cost YOU!
This is what U.S. REP. JOHN CULBERSON said about the cap & trade bill in a Houston newspaper. Culberson is a Republican and represents the 7th Congressional District of Texas.
President Barack Obama and liberals in Congress support federal regulation of carbon dioxide. Proponents of CO2 regulation claim that taxing polluters is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions, but the staggering costs of a cap-and-trade program will stifle our domestic energy and manufacturing sectors and result in major rate increases for consumers. The cap-and-trade plan should really be called “the light switch tax,” because if this bill becomes law, you will pay a tax every time you flip your light switch.
U.S. Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., recently introduced the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act of 2009, which would create a cap-and-trade program requiring CO2 emissions to be reduced 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. The bill would set up a cap-and-trade system that sets a limit (or cap) on total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and establishes a yet-to-be-defined carbon allowance on each utility or company. Details such as cap levels and which companies are subject to allowances are still being finalized by Democrats, but the outcome looks grim for consumers.
Since fossil fuels supply 85 percent of U.S. energy demand, taxing one of the most vital and productive sectors of our economy will only prolong and deepen the current recession. The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis’ study of the Lieberman–Warner cap-and-trade bill (a bill rejected by the Senate last year) found that the legislation would result in total GDP losses of nearly $5 trillion and job losses of 400,000 to 800,000 per year. The ACES Act is more restrictive and would cause even greater economic damage. The cost to Texas ratepayers alone could reach $20 billion in added electricity costs, which is an increase of more than $600 per year in utility bills, according to a study commissioned by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that under a cap-and-trade program, companies would ultimately pass these costs along to their customers in the form of higher rates. CBO notes, “Regardless of how the allowances were distributed, most of the cost of meeting a cap on CO2 emissions would be borne by consumers who would face persistently higher prices for products such as electricity and gasoline.”
The reason for these dramatic cost increases is simple: The technology to comply with the steep renewable requirements in this bill does not exist today. The Waxman-Markey bill requires that 20 percent of electricity production comes from renewable sources (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) by 2020. Today Americans get less than 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources and the technological advancements, transmission capability and commercial availability needed to meet these lofty standards are years, even decades away.
Economists estimate that consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of our economy. While our economy is struggling to recover from recession, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on American consumers, which is why I am a cosponsor of the American Energy Innovation Act. This fiscally responsible approach encourages innovation by investing in renewable energy technology, promotes conservation by providing incentives for reducing energy demand and increases production of American energy by utilizing available resources and streamlining burdensome regulations. These steps will make America energy self-sufficient and improve our environment in the process.
This should get you thinking! You should understand that this is going to send our energy rates right through the roof if this bill passes. Read the rest of this blog to learn how solar and wind energy can benefit you greatly. I don’t want to get to political here but I think anything good the current administration does for us is going to cost US big time. We are going to pay through the nose. Once they take from you do you think you are going to get it back?
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Build Solar Panels and Wind Turbines Yourself - Save Yourself a Fortune on Electric Costs
You build solar panels and windmills yourself to power your home. You can power the whole house or just some of it for a real savings on your electric bill. If you can power the whole house all of the time then you are living off of the electricity you generate with your solar panels or windmills. When you are doing this and you generate extra electricity you can sell it back to the electric company and even put more money back in your pocket. Think about it. How nice would it be to never have to pay an electric bill again and even have the electric company cutting you a check each month?
Building the solar panels and windmills is not hard. I am sure some of you are thinking I can’t do that it’s to hard but it’s really not. All you need is a few simple hand tools and a drill. All of the parts can be found in the local hardware store, home center. Some of the parts will also come from some place like Radio Shack. Don’t get all flabbergasted because you need hook up a few electronic parts. It’s very simple and easy. Remember you are making electricity so you are going to have to send it through a couple of components that will level it out. You are making DC(direct current) electricity which is what you use with cars, boats etc… To run your house the electricity has to go through an inverter which changes it to AC (alternating Current) which is what your house runs on. Inverters are cheap. With a good guide you will get a complete parts list for everything and learn where to get it.
When you decide to go green as they say and you are generating some or all of your power with wind or solar systems you are eligible for some nice tax breaks. Some states even have programs that will reimburse you up to 70 or 80 percent of the cost of your instillation.
You can get solar and windmill kits. This will cost you more than if you build them yourself from scratch. Check out the resources/partner reviews page for more information on the benefits of DYI solar panels or wind turbines will do for you. You can also have a professional build and install your solar panels or wind turbine but this is going to cost big time. At the very least $5000.00 and up from there! Your best bet is to build them yourself cheap.
It’s easy to learn how to build and install your own windmills and solar panels. Learn how you can make money selling the unused energy back to the electric company. You can even set up your own little business building solar panels and windmills and selling and installing them so check out Earth4Energy today to learn more!