As President Ronald Reagan would say, "There they go again."
The Associated Press reported on June 29 that President Obama is
working with several Senators to "quietly draft" a version of Cap and
Trade deemed "utility-only."
They have been trying for 18 months to force a bill to destroy our fossil
fuel industry. The people of the United States and North Dakota are
against such a bill. This has not stopped the President and his allies.
The worst oil spill in history is wrecking havoc on our country. In true
Chicago style, instead of focusing on stopping the leak and cleaning up
the mess, it is being used to push another version of Cap and Trade.
This new version of the old bill is aimed directly at North Dakota.
A "utility-only" version of Cap and Trade means increased costs for refineries and power plants resulting
in at least a 25-40 percent increase in utility costs and thousands of lost jobs for our state.
The "utility-only" version is actually worse for our state than the original Cap and Trade bill. It will
disproportionally affect North Dakota consumers and devastate our economy. If signed into law, North
Dakota will no longer have the lowest retail electricity rates in the country, our rich oil and gas reserves
will not be fully developed, and North Dakota's economy will be forever harmed.
We are doing it right in North Dakota!
In addition to our strong fossil fuel industries, wind, biofuels, and other renewable energy sources continue
to increase in our state. North Dakota's balanced approach to energy development should be modeled
by Washington, not punished.
It is time for Senators Conrad and Dorgan to demand the President deliver a realistic policy that leads
us towards genuine energy independence, not one that will wipe out our state's economy.
Brian P. Kalk, PhD
U.S. Marine Corps (Retired)
North Dakota Public Service Commission
DakotaBeacon