A climate bill must keep electricity affordable

Evidently, the American Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) has decided to join the debate over America’s energy future—after having previously confessed that they’ve been asleep at the wheel on the issue.

Today, ANGA placed an ad in the Washington Post claiming we can reduce America’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 50 percent right now. All we have to do is slash coal use by more than half while doubling use of natural gas.

Sound too good to be true?

It is.

Whether the infrastructure for this massive conversion is already in place (power plants, natural gas pipelines, etc.) is highly debatable.

What’s not debatable is that natural gas costs about three times more than coal, according to the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Furthermore, natural gas prices have ricocheted in recent years between $3 and $12 per million BTUs produced, making it hard for businesses and American families to budget for their energy costs.

ANGA’s ad leaves open the question of what an overreliance on gas (which is primarily used for industrial a feed stock and home heating) for electricity generation would do to consumer energy costs.

According to a new study from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, as well as authorities from the International Energy Agency, experts from academia project that, with appropriate investments in carbon capture and storage technologies, coal will continue to provide affordable electricity in comparison with other fuels over the long term. Furthermore, a sustainable climate policy will provide for economic prosperity through affordable energy, greater energy security and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

That’s why coal will continue to be “America’s fuel” for decades to come.

As you know, the House narrowly passed a bill on greenhouse gas emissions. As the bill moves to the Senate, it’s important to remember that we should not use the debate over climate change legislation as an opportunity to dictate fuel choices.

If we did that and if history is any guide, the choices we make will likely not work in the long-term and that will ultimately be bad for the consumer.

A climate policy will work only if it reduces emissions while doing everything possible to keep energy costs affordable for American families and businesses. Any policy option that reduces the use of affordable energy options like coal in favor of more expensive fuel choices will not accomplish energy and economic goals at a time when the American public will demand that we do both.

Read our letter to the editor in the Washington Post on this topic.