Our Energy, Our Future
By Doug Johnson, Chief Executive Officer
Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; Pager: 1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
LENOIR, NORTH CAROLINA (May 9, 2008) - Pressure is mounting in Congress to do something about climate change. And while political debates in Washington, D.C., are increasing as we near the Primary election, I encourage you to pay close attention because the outcome of environmental legislation that is expected to be passed in the next Congress will have a direct impact on our cooperative – and on you, the cooperative member and other electric consumers.
Our nation faces a looming energy crisis. And while Blue Ridge Electric is building the infrastructure to deliver power to our members and has secured long term wholesale power agreements with Duke Energy Carolinas, there is still the need for new base load power plants, transmission lines and other infrastructure all across the United States to meet the needs of a growing nation. Unless significantly more power plants are placed into service soon, some consumers could experience brownouts and even rolling blackouts in the not-too-distant future. But building this electric generation will be the most expensive in history, coming at a time when prices for fossil fuels and construction materials like steel, copper, and concrete are spiraling upward because of worldwide demand.
Additional costs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions–notably carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to global climate change–will strain the pocketbooks of consumers even further. Various climate change bills currently under consideration in Congress could push up electric retail rates from 25 percent to 50 percent over the next 10 years.
Unfortunately, some mistakenly believe we can solve all of these problems through efficiency measures and by adding renewable energy sources. While we certainly need all the energy efficiency programs and green power we can get, they will not be enough to ensure that you continue to receive a safe, reliable, and affordable supply of electricity in the near future.
To keep the lights on and rates reasonable, the federal government must exercise dedicated leadership to develop a balanced energy policy. Without a sound, responsible, sustainable energy policy, government risks not only the reliability of our electric system but also returning to a time when electric service was a privilege enjoyed only by the wealthy. And, a balanced energy plan must also take into account the impact on the environment over the long term.
Right now, members of Congress as well as state elected officials are hearing from lots of different interest groups who have ideas about how to address climate change. But no one is talking to consumers. We need a plan people can afford today while we also deal with the long range challenges of climate change.
As electric cooperative consumers, I encourage you to contact your elected officials today and ask them some tough questions to help get a necessary dialogue started on this critical issue.
By doing so, you will open a discussion that could help policymakers search for ways to meet environmental objectives while limiting the impact on electric bills.
To assist you in your conversations with our elected representatives, log on to www.ourenergy.coop. There you will find three basic questions to ask, as follows:
- Experts say that our nation’s growing electricity needs will soon go well beyond what renewables, conservation, and efficiency can provide; What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we’ll need in the future?
- What are you doing to fully fund the research required to make emissions-free electric plants an affordable reality?
- Balancing electricity needs and environmental goals will be difficult. How much is all this going to increase my electric bill and what will you do to make it affordable?
From this web site, you will also be able to send a sample letter to members of Congress recommending that they seek out a balanced solution to energy and climate change. The letter may be sent electronically or printed for regular mail.
Far too often questions don’t get asked of policymakers until plans go wrong. You can help your elected officials “get it right” by having this conversation.
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