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Unfortunately there has been a lot of confusion and political posturing regarding this bill and energy policy in general. While the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Waxman-Markey bill by a narrow 219-212 vote, the U.S. Senate has yet to begin debate. Now is the time that Mississippians can speak up on legislation that if passed, will have a dramatic impact on the sources, cost and perhaps availability of the electricity that powers life at home and work.
Waxman-Markey’s cap-and-trade program has been the brunt of much controversy. However, Mississippians and our neighboring states should have serious concerns about the bill’s renewable energy standards (RES), which mandate that 20 percent of our state’s total electricity supply be generated by renewable energy sources by 2020.
Conceptually, renewable energy sources appear to be affordable, efficient, and easy to integrate into the existing electric power grid. However, the reality is that there are significant challenges coupled with unforeseen costs, and it’s almost certain that any federally mandated RES will increase the cost of electricity for Mississippians.
Today the energy resources defined as “renewable” in the Waxman-Markey bill – primarily solar, wind and biomass fuels – account for about 3 percent of our nation’s total electricity supply.
Mississippians pay about 8 cents per kWh for electricity, while the U.S. average is about 12 cents per kWh. The southeast economy, including Mississippi, has benefited greatly from our abundance of reliable and low-cost energy that encourages businesses to expand and locate new facilities in our region. We have a competitive advantage over states like Connecticut, with power costs at 20 cents per kWh, and even California at 15 cents per kWh, that we do not want to lose.
Renewable energy resources can and should play an important role in our energy supply. However a federal RES mandate must recognize that different states have different natural capacity for renewable energy. For example, Kansas has prevailing winds, Nevada, solar, and Hawaii, geothermal. Mississippi is a state rich in biomass resources, which today fuel around 2 percent of our state’s electric power generation. It’s notable that the Mississippi Technology Alliance and Mississippi State University have programs underway to enable more biomass power generation in the future.
Well-intended legislation can have unintended consequences. If the Waxman-Markey bill becomes law, how would Mississippi meet the 20 percent RES requirement? Mississippi would have to pay to import electric power from outside our state, rather than relying on electricity generated at home. While the federal stimulus package contained funds for renewable energy, nobody has figured out how to pay for the millions of dollars in new electric power transmission lines that will be required to bring power to such states as Mississippi.
In fact, a primary reason that oil and natural gas magnate T. Boone Pickens shelved his Texas wind farm project is that no one volunteered to pay for the $2 billion it would cost to connect the proposed wind farm project to the Texas power grid.
The Waxman-Markey bill also fails to support nuclear energy which is safe, clean, and reliable. Nuclear energy provides 20 percent of the electricity in the U.S. and in Mississippi.
Sensible energy legislation should promote an increase in nuclear generation, especially in view of the Department of Energy’s forecast that the demand for electricity will increase 26 percent by 2030.
Coal is America’s most abundant energy resource. Control technologies are available that reduce harmful emissions up to 80 percent, while carbon dioxide can be captured for use in enhanced oil recovery. Mississippi has an estimated three to five billion tons of minable lignite coal which can be used to secure our state’s energy future while adding hundreds of good paying jobs.
A serious game of energy legislation is underway in Washington. If a federally mandated “one size fits all” approach is enacted that fails to recognize the diverse energy resources of individual states, the cost and consequences will be high for Mississippi and for America. Let’s not sit on the sidelines during this debate, for if we do, we could find ourselves in the dark, literally.
Glenn McCullough Jr. is the former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority and also served as mayor of Tupelo. He is Chairman of Advance Mississippi, a coalition of community, business and academic leaders that advocates energy policies that will foster economic growth. For additional information visit: www.advancemississippi.com.
"I think is is sad that we had a nuclear power plant 99% completed north of Iuka when Jimmy, the peanut farmer,Carter killed the project."
"I did not concede anything. I said almost ten years was spent on the construction and at that rate if it was only 30% complete it would take 25 years to construct a nuclear plant."
Proof of what lower funding of education in Mississippi produces.
Ther work never slowed down it just stopped suddenly for political reasons.
We need that plant NOW and we are still 10 years away from building another plant.
What is your problem with having cheaper electricity. Why should we pay more just because Colorado pays more?
Ultracreep, how could you be surprised if you left and moved back?
So now that you have one fact you concede that it was only 30% complete. Fact number two They slowed down construction because they knew that they did not need the power from the plant. Do I need to hold your hand for every fact as you also have not done your research.
Last fall TVA increased rates by 20% because of te high cost of fuel.
TVA had an ash spill that will cost billions to clean up and will lead to rate increases.
It takes 10 years to build a nuclear power plant.
If the yellow creek plant was only 30% complete then it takes 25 years to build a nuclear plant.
Any one can post anything on a web site--even if it is not truthful.
All of this rhetoric is peanut brain carter and pea brain obama propaganda to protect their radical political donors.
I live in a small home and last January I had to pay a $400.00 dollar electric bill.
By the way lobbyist cannot vote, so we need to change congress to represent the people.
Because the federal government had lobbyists from all the nuclear plant companies where lining the congress pockets so they bought from them all and then was going to test to see which was the best.
" TVA pulled the plug on its nuclear power program, stopping construction on the Yellow Creek plant when it was about 30 percent complete. "
http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=916
I had many friends that worked at yellow creek and I have been to the site. It was within a year of opening when it was shut down by Carter.
We may be enjoying lower electric rates than most of the country, however the cap and tax on coal plants will cause a huge increase in our rates and we could use the nuclear plant NOW!
Why did we start the plant if it was not needed? Was it just stupid spending by the Dems. in Washington? When the plant was closed we had already spent over a billion dollars and that was 1980 dollars.
Why not check the facts yourself?
It is not a democrat or republican problem as much as we just need some common sense.
We need to look at the man, not the party.
The big corporations are no longer a problem..the bomber has taken them over. NOW aren't we happy? Now we have no jobs so we will have to find another whipping boy!!
It does not matter what party is in charge. The Corporations run the show. If you truly want reform we need to change corporate charters and the powers given to corporations. The problem being that it is a global problem. National politics are helpless against big International business. It is the Big Corporations that will benefit the most from all the green efforts.
Check your facts. Yellow Creek was not anywhere near being finished. The plant's construction was shut down because electric use did not grow at the rate predicted. The plant was not needed. It takes at least 10 years to build a plant and no one can foresee the future only guess. Enjoy your electric rates at 30% below the national average thanks to good leadership of TVA.
If he had acted with any dignity in the election last year, he might have been a viable candidate for representative next year.
We need a representative to work for Mississippians that has good ideas and will stick with their principles and not get caught up in the Washington tax and sin (spend)ideas.
I think is is sad that we had a nuclear power plant 99% completed north of Iuka when Jimmy, the peanut farmer,Carter killed the project.
It is not his fault how big corporations are run. It is the very basic principles of corporate structures that insulate the leaders from responsibility and enforce the need to compete in the large market. Every big business is offering the same deal. It is the citizen with the vote of your dollar that can control business not the government or CEO's under the present laws.
I think Mr. McCullough will be dissappointed if he is trying to position himself to run for US representative or any office.
I think his reckless spending and big parties as chairman of TVA and the fact he abandoned his principles, or his supposed principles, after he lost the primary to Greg Davis has forever tainted his ability to ever be considered a credible public figure.