You may have heard or read reports about the deregulation or
restructuring of electricity service. This means you may soon be
choosing the company that supplies electric power to your home
or business, much like you now choose a long-distance phone
company. Electric power generation, for years a monopoly that
supplied power to an entire community while state regulators set
rates, will become an open market where many companies compete
on price and service.
The
power of choice can deliver you lower monthly bills and new
innovations. It can also have a profound effect on the
environment. Why? Because the production and use of electricity
are major contributors to air pollution and other environmental
threats. A change in the way we purchase electricity offers an
opportunity for new focus on its environmental impacts.
The
electric power system is the largest single source of industrial
air pollution in the nation. Consider these facts:
-
The
power industry creates more air pollution than any other
industry in the United States. Air pollution itself kills at
least 64,000 people a year in the US and makes thousands
more sick. (Natural Resources Defense Council report:
Breath-taking: Premature Mortality Due to Particulate Air
Pollution in 239 American Cities.)
-
Fossil-fueled
power plants emit nearly 64% of sulfur dioxide (SO2),
the principal cause of the acid rain that has devastated
forests and lakes in New England, Canada and the
mid-Atlantic states.
-
Fossil-fueled
power plants contribute 36% of the U.S. emissions of
greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and
climate change.
-
State
and Federal documents indicate that every dump ever used to
store low-level nuclear waste a total of six--has leaked.
(Renewable Energy Policy Project: Environmental Imperative
for Renewable Energy, excerpt from Fast Facts on Electricity
and the Environment , April, 2000)
-
Nuclear
power plants produce 50% of this country's nuclear waste, a
toxic disposal and management problem lasting tens of
thousands of years.
-
Power
plants emit a host of other dangerous substances - including
nitrogen oxide, mercury and other toxic heavy metals and
greenhouse gases. Soot and smoke from power plants leave
fine particulates in the atmosphere creating haze that
limits visibility in national parks and wilderness areas and
creates health hazards for hikers, skiers and others who are
active or working outdoors.
Consumers
can affect the outcome of the deregulation process. By demanding
clean and renewable sources of electricity, customers can
encourage power marketers to offer "Green Energy"
generated through wind, solar or other environmentally-friendly
sources. Several states that have deregulated their electricity
market have required generators to produce a certain percentage
of their power from new renewable sources. And a movement is
underway to educate consumers about where their power comes from
and how they can identify - and purchase - power from renewable
sources.
If
this positive vision isn't realized, the alternative outcomes
are grim. Deregulation of the retail electricity business is
primarily being done to lower rates and spur economic activity.
There is a growing recognition that deregulation could also lead
to unintended and undesirable environmental consequences. Under
deregulation, electricity will start to resemble other commodity
markets where price is the dominant concern of buyers. In this
scenario, older and dirtier generating units may have a
competitive advantage over cleaner sources of power. For
example, coal-fired utility plants that are heavily-depreciated
may have lower operating costs than renewable sources of power.
Clearly,
it is important that consumers play an active role in helping
shape the new electricity market, both by choosing Green Energy
and by telling policy makers that support for Green Energy must
be part of any new policies. This is more than just a
high-minded policy debate - it is a core issue that affects the
air we breathe, the environment we live in, and the condition of
the planet we leave to our children and grandchildren. Start
by educating yourself and your community about smart energy
choices, then look for the Green-E logo as electricity products
are offered. Remaining active is the best way to ensure
cleaner and greener energy into the future.
For
more details visit website : http://www.repp.org/greene
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