Senate Pulls Plug on Renewable Energy

In a recent lobbying blitz, some of the U.S.'s biggest utility companies have squelched plans to further renewable energy use, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Considered the most stringent energy specifications to date, the measure would have forced electric companies to increase wind and solar power to 15% of total electrical output by 2020.

Behemoth utility companies such as Atlanta-based Southern Co., and Ohio’s American Electric Power Co. fought especially hard against the bill. Such South and Midwestern companies argued their regions lacked the wind and solar capacities to meet the renewable-energy standards. Other coal-heavy utility corporations claimed the standards would raise power prices.

Without question the proposed standards would raise electricity bills. Wind, solar and biomass power production are more expensive than fossil energy options like coal and natural gas, though required usage of renewable energy is designed in part to spur innovation that might lower costs. The question is: do Americans want to pay the price now, or later?

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