The High Cost of Renewable Electricity Mandates

[rossbro]

Near Myrtle Beach,SC, we are now paying around 16 cents per kwh. This increased in the last two years from around 10 cents per kwh. The local power plant uses coal. In the last few months, there has been screaming from local politicians that the local power plant would have to close down because of new regulations regarding air pollution. This plant must be 40-50 years old. There has been NO MODERNIZATION of the plant. Just draining profits. No politicians have criticized the power co. officials for not upgrading the plant. Buddies protecting buddies at the expense of the rest of us??? Sounds like the current U.S.Congress.

[Massageguy]

Would anyone kindly explain what the cost is of mercury pollution emitted by coal burning electric utility plants ? Right now you can't eat any lake fish in the state of Michigan because they are contaminated by methyl mercury that comes from mercury rained down from coal smokestack utility plants. I think you need to add this external cost to those utility bills for customers in states where they're going to get the "cheapest" energy source, without bearing the true cost of pollution. I won't eat any lake fish in Michigan, and a potential industry flounders, no pun intended.

[herm]

can you really blame all the mercury contamination on coal smokestacks?

[RedylC94]

Originally Posted by Massageguy

Would anyone kindly explain what the cost is of mercury pollution emitted by coal burning electric utility plants ? ... I think you need to add this external cost to those utility bills for customers in states where they're going to get the "cheapest" energy source, without bearing the true cost of pollution.

Exactly! That mercury is only one of the hidden high costs of mining and burning coal that doesn't show up in utility bills. There's also the sulfur dioxide, resulting acid rain downwind, and all the local environmental effects of blowing the tops off mountains. The area where I lived the first seven years of my life, once farm land, is a wasteland because of strip mining.

[Carcus]

I say again:

I reckon I'm the greenest sumbich up in this forum.

[herm]

Your PC is made of renewable materials?

[msirach]

We really need a +1 or like button.