The Obama administration — via the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) — issued an economic analysis of Waxman-Markey concluding that the bill will cause electricity prices to increase only slightly through 2020.
While we’re still reviewing the report, here are a couple things you ought to know about it:
- The EIA report appears to show merely that if no true CO2 control is put in place, electricity prices won’t increase. But as soon as true CO2 control is implemented electricity prices could more than double.
- The report is chock full of demonstrably faulty assumptions and misleading economics. Assumptions include that nuclear power and carbon capture and storage are easily and inexpensively implemented on a large scale. The misleading economics portion includes the notion that Congress can impose more than $6 trillion of annual costs on energy production and use, and energy users won’t notice.
The real loser here is the EIA — America’s source of energy data — which is squandering its reputation in order to advance President Obama’s agenda.
Sometimes you just gotta trust that the cream will rise to the top. Sure these are lies, sure these are manipulations to garner support for otherwise crackpot, cash-skimming, cronyist legislation. But the facts are out there. There are enough good people like Steve trying to get the truth out. So basically wherever you land on this issue, you own that position. Put partisan politics ahead of truth, and you own that position. Put “I’ll show you” ahead of “I want whats best for all of us”, and you own that position.
At the end of the day, these policies will hurt the lower classes most. The same people that were pandered to by the peddlers of “Change”. The same people who’s big idea was “stick it to the rich”. And the same people too blinded by the want of freebies, to see that Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, et al, represent the richest of the rich. And they’re not gonna bear your burden out of the goodness of their hearts no matter what they say.
But from my position it doesn’t matter much. I have multiple college degrees, patents, zero debt, huge savings, a healthy stock portfolio, healthy retirement, etc etc. Despite some minor inconveniences at worst, I will be significantly less affected by such legislation than those screaming loudest in support of it. So they can have it for all I care. Whatever additional amount W-M adds to my energy bill, it won’t exceed what I made in the stock market today before 10 AM. It’s called economies of scale. I’m rich, and this administration is just as committed to me getting richer as the last one was. Unlike those who can afford it least, I’ll never have to suffer the bitter taste of my own medicine. Sorry suckers…