Electric Co-op Today

We don‘t believe that the Clean Air Act is the vehicle that should be used to regulate the complex carbon emissions problem. We don’t need multiple, overlapping regulatory programs. That’s why we have tried to work with Congress on drafting affordable legislation that would effectively address greenhouse gas emissions.

We do need certainty. Litigation against EPA would be expensive and time-consuming. Power plants and transmission lines take years of planning. For projects of that scope and cost, we need a consistent legal and regulatory foundation on which to plan. That’s necessary in order to make sound financial decisions that affect current and future co-op members.

As we’ve often stated, we support renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and landfill methane. Those sources are a small but steadily increasing part of our power portfolio. Other advances such as more efficient clean coal technologies and increased nuclear power generation will help reduce carbon emissions and ensure an adequate power supply for decades to come.

Co-ops nationwide offered suggestions to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as it crafted climate change legislation. We will continue to do so as legislation progresses through various committees. Our desire is to achieve greenhouse gas reductions and protect consumers from unnecessary costs. We’d like to see that accomplished, and we would prefer that Congress take the lead.

Our nation needs an affordable, workable and technologically achievable program. We are committed to aggressively pursuing solutions that will reduce carbon emissions but in a way that will not put undue burdens on our consumer-members.

David Callis is director of government affairs for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association.

Tags: Climate Change Legislation, Co-op Voices