June 2012

MACT regulations through the eyes of one Colorado community

June 1, 2012

Tanya Narramore, an equipment operator at New Horizon Mine, a coal mine in western Colorado, is featured in a new video that was released June 1 by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).

“If the power plant shut down, I would probably lose my house, my truck… everything,” says Tanya, referring to the nearby Nucla Station electric generating facility that is supplied by the mine. The video describes how the western Colorado towns of Nucla and Naturita could be irreparably harmed by heavy-handed government regulations – most notably the Environmental Protection Agency’s Utility MACT rule. This is the second time this year that a Colorado power plant and its surrounding community have been featured in the national dialogue over energy and environmental regulations. Read more »

Summer brings sun – and higher electricity bills

June 5, 2012

Summer is upon us. The long hot days are soon to come, along with the higher electricity bills they bring. For most of us, higher costs come because we run our household air conditioners which depend solely on electricity to cool our home.

But for farmers, higher electricity bills are the result of irrigating their crops. The electric irrigation pumps required to water large fields use a lot of electricity. And the combined use of pumps on farms across Colorado places higher stress on the electric grid. While farmers do what they can to minimize electricity use during the hottest summer days, they must pump when their crops need water.
Read more »

About the Author

Shawn Martini

Part of the agriculture and rural way of life since birth, Shawn is an agribusiness professional in Denver, Colo. His family has farmed grapes and almonds in California, and corn and soybeans in South Dakota. He put himself through college working on cattle ranches across northeastern Colorado and never turns down an opportunity to be around good horses. He writes frequently on the intersection of public policy and the agriculture industry. He lives in Brighton, Colo. Shawn is a regular contributor to the Affordability Matters blog.

New report about Colorado highlights the importance of affordable energy for families

June 18, 2012

Electricity seems to flow miraculously from our wall sockets, powering the clock radio that wakes us in the morning and the fan we crank up on a summer afternoon. A recent report shows that, as Colorado families tighten their belts in this turbulent economy, energy is a significant expense.

The report states, “The share of household income spent for energy bills falls disproportionately on lower- and middle-income families earning less than $50,000 per year.”
In Colorado, about 900,000 households earn less than $50,000. For these families, an estimated 19 percent of their after-tax income goes to energy costs. The numbers are even more bleak for the poorest households earning less than $10,000, for whom energy cists represent 71 percent of their family income (before accounting for state energy assistance).

The research makes clear that protecting the cost-effective, reliable supply of electricity is vital for a prosperous future for all Colorado families. Read more »

Act today to help stop regulations and protect affordable electricity

June 19, 2012

At a time when job prospects are dwindling, the last thing American families need is for the basic cost of living to rise. But that’s exactly what will happen if a set of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations goes forward unchecked.

In April, the EPA issued a set of unreasonable regulations that would require power plants to reduce emissions of mercury and other pollutants to impossible levels within three years. In reality, these regulations are an excuse for Washington regulators to abandon America’s most affordable and abundant energy resource: coal. Read more »

New Mexico families feel the squeeze as rising energy costs compete with other basic necessities

June 22, 2012

A new report highlights just how tight many family budgets are when it comes to basic necessities like energy. The 436,000 New Mexico families who have gross annual incomes of $50,000 or less spend an estimated 19 percent of their after-tax incomes on electricity. The numbers are even more bleak for the poorest households earning less than $10,000, for whom energy costs represent 71 percent of their family income (before accounting for state energy assistance).

A median household income that’s 15 percent below the national median means that New Mexico families are being pressed from all sides.  Read more »

Update: Nearly Half of U.S. Senators Vote to Repeal Flawed EPA Rules

June 28, 2012

In mid-June we told you about a set of unreasonable regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would require power plants to reduce certain emissions to impossible levels within three years. If you’re a member of our eAction team, we also emailed you about the important vote that took place on Wednesday, June 20, on a U.S. Senate resolution that challenged these regulations. Read more »