Under Madison’s SB721
Electricity Rates Would Necessarily Skyrocket
(In Insurance and Commerce Committee Tomorrow)
The following bill that would make electricity rates skyrocket was not heard yesterday, but is still on the agenda and may come before the Insurance and Commerce Committee tomorrow. There are four Republican and four Democrats on the committee. It takes 5 votes on the Senate committees to get a bill passed through the committee. If we can get the Republicans to hold together, then we would be able to keep this vote from going to the floor. Please call and leave a message for the following 8 senators at the Capitol with the Senate switchboard 501-682-2902 by 10:00 tomorrow and tell these senators to vote against SB721 by Madison, the Clean Energy Act of 2011.
In our economic climate, we sure don’t need skyrocketing electricity rates. Then email A L L the senators and tell them the same, or at least email the eight on the committee below. You probably want to include the statement from the Arkansas Municipal Power Association below when you email them. All Senators’ emails are at very end of this email. You can send an email to all of them in one email.
Republicans
Jason.Rapert@Senate.Ar.Gov
Ruth.Whitaker@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jeremy.Hutchinson@Senate.Ar.Gov
Cecile.Bledsoe@Senate.Ar.Gov
Democrats
Joyce.Elliott@Senate.Ar.Gov
Percy.Malone@Senate.Ar.Gov
Larry.Teague@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jack.Crumbly@Senate.Ar.Gov
Insurance and Commerce Committee (Senate)
(R)Senator Cecile Bledsoe
709 Sky Mountain Drive
Rogers, AR 72757
Ph: 479-636-2115
Cecile.Bledsoe@Senate.Ar.Gov
Chair D) Senator Jack Crumbly
Dist 16
1823 SFC 414
Widener, AR 72394
Bus. Ph: 870-633-7338
Jack.Crumbly@Senate.Ar.Gov
D) Senator Joyce Elliott
Dist. 33 7807 Lassie Lane
Little Rock, AR 72204
Ph: 501-568-3917
Joyce.Elliott@Senate.Ar.Gov
(R) Senator. Jeremy Hutchinson
Dist. 22, 111 Center St., Suite 1315
Little Rock, AR 72201
Ph: 501-372-3480
Jeremy.Hutchinson@Senate.Ar.Gov
(D) Senator Percy Malone
Dist.26, 518 Clay Street
Arkadelphia, AR 71923
Bus. Ph: 870-246-4141
Fx: 870-246-6616
Percy.Malone@Senate.Ar.Gov
(R) Senator Jason Rapert
Dist.18, P.O. Box 295
Bigelow, AR 72016
Ph:501-327-5552
Jason.Rapert@Senate.Ar.Gov
(D) Senator Larry Teague
Dist.20
P.O. Box 903
Nashville, AR 71852
Ph:870-845-8490
Larry.Teague@Senate.Ar.Gov
R) Senator Ruth R. Whitaker
Dist 3, P.O. Box 349
Cedarville, AR 72932
Bus. Ph: 501-474-0911
510-410-1018
Ruth.Whitaker@Senate.Ar.Gov
You can leave a message for your Senator at 501-682-2902 and your Representative at 501-682-6211.
Don’t be fooled by the title of the name and subtitle: Below is a statement from the power companies. Remember when Obama said, “Under My Plan Electricity Rates Would Necessarily Skyrocket” Senator Sue Madison is doing Obama’s work for him here in Arkansas. She advocates a plan in her bill to cause it to do so in Arkansas before Washington mandates it. In states where they have these mandates, electricity is 40% higher than in those states that don’t. While “renewable energy is currently responsible for less than two percent of the electricity generation in the United States,” Senator Madison wants Arkansas power plants to get 20% of their energy from renewable sources. See quote from the bill at end of this email.
* * * * *
Arkansas Municipal Power Association
Legislative Bill Tracking Report
March 11, 2011
SB721 THE CLEAN ENERGY ACT OF 2011
This bill includes a 20%/200mW renewable portfolio standard (RPS) for Arkansas (23-18-904(c)(1)(B)). Each utility would be required to purchase renewables under a tariff based on its load ratio share. These higher-cost renewables will increase our retail rates to families, business and industry.
Since many cities purchase power thru full-requirements, long-term agreements, this renewable mandate may be in conflict with these contracts. The cities which own more than 80% of their needs may find some of their generating capacity effectively “stranded”. This could further increase prices to customers.
Larry Thompson
Financial Services Director
City Water & Light
400 E. Monroe
Jonesboro AR 72401
lthompson@jonesborocwl.org
870-930-3341
* * * * *
Dear American Energy Supporter,
Some politicians in Washington D.C. must think your electricity bills are too low. It’s astounding to think that in these tough economic times, Congress must think you aren’t paying enough to light your home and keep it warm.
Their answer to this “problem” is a national renewable electricity mandate-which they call a clean electricity standard. They want to force states to generate a certain amount of their electricity from “renewable” sources (I put renewable in quotes because they don’t want to count things like large hydroelectric dams as a source of renewable energy). This interactive chart shows how much renewable energy your state currently generates and how much will count under a federal mandate.
Since sources like wind and solar energy are expensive to produce, and only work when the wind blows or the sun shines, these mandates will inevitably mean higher rates for you and me.
How much impact will they have? We looked to the states and their experience with renewable mandates and goals:
– Only 14 of 36 states with a renewable mandate or goal are on track to meet their targets
– Worse, electricity prices are nearly 40 percent higher in states with these mandates
– Higher electricity rates will lead to job losses
The point of these “renewable” electricity mandates is simple: force states to generate expensive electricity from wind and solar to pay more for electricity, so more money flows to the government and their friends to tell you which sources of energy you can and can’t use.
The last thing this country needs is higher electricity prices. These policies have failed at the state level, will not work at the national level, and will close the door on employment opportunities for out of work Americans.
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with your state’s renewable electricity mandate status, and send to a friend or family member who would like to know.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Tom Pyle
President
Institute for Energy Research
* * * * *
18-1004. Requirement to purchase renewable energy.
(a) An electric utility shall file with the commission for a feed-in tariff that:
(1) Requires the electric utility to purchase the renewable energy produced by a renewable electric generation facility at the price and terms established by the commission for a period not to exceed twenty (20) years; and (33)(c)(1)(A) After the commission approves the feed-in tariff, the 22 electric utility shall make the feed-in tariff available on a first-come, first-served basis to renewable electric generation facilities that are 24 located within the allocated service territory of the electric utility.
(B) Unless the commission for good cause modifies the requirement for an electric utility under this subdivision (c)(1), the electric utility shall offer to purchase under the feed-in tariff at least twenty percent (20%) of its electricity supply requirement under subdivision (c)(1)(A) of this section from a residential or commercial renewable electric generation facility.
All Senators’ emails:
Gilbert.Baker@Senate.Ar.Gov
Cecile.Bledsoe@Senate.Ar.Gov
Paul.Bookout@Senate.Ar.Gov
David.Burnett@Senate.Ar.Gov
Linda.Chesterfield@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jack.Crumbly@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jonathan.Dismang@Senate.Ar.Gov
Joyce.Elliott@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jake.Files@Senate.Ar.Gov
Mike.Fletcher@Senate.Ar.Gov
Stephanie.Flowers@Senate.Ar.Gov
steve@steveharrelson.com
Kim.Hendren@Senate.Ar.Gov
Bruce.Holland@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jeremy.Hutchinson@Senate.Ar.Gov
Missy.Irvin@Senate.Ar.Gov
Gene.Jeffress@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jimmy.Jeffress@Senate.Ar.Gov
David.Johnson@Senate.Ar.Gov
Johnny.Key@Senate.Ar.Gov
Michael.Lamoureux@Senate.Ar.Gov
Randy.Laverty@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jim.Luker@Senate.Ar.Gov
Sue.Madison@Senate.Ar.Gov
Percy.Malone@Senate.Ar.Gov
Bill.Pritchard@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jason.Rapert@Senate.Ar.Gov
MaryAnne.Salmon@Senate.Ar.Gov
Bill.Sample@Senate.Ar.Gov
Jerry.Taylor@Senate.Ar.Gov
Larry.Teague@Senate.Ar.Gov
Robert.Thompson@Senate.Ar.Gov
Ruth.Whitaker@Senate.Ar.Gov
EddieJoe.Williams@Senate.Ar.Gov
David.Wyatt@Senate.Ar.Gov
READ THE BILL
Link to SB721
Link to SB721′s Bill Status History
CALL YOUR LEGISLATOR
Link to the Arkansas State Legislature
Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee