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House-passed national energy tax will increase electricity prices, unemployment

Washington, DC – Following a narrow vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on what has been described at the ‘biggest tax in American history,’ Thomas J. Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance (AEA), issued this statement on the cap-and-trade bill’s passage:

“With the amount of arm twisting, horse trading, and political favor swapping needed to force a House vote on this job-killing legislation, it should come as no surprise that a strong showing of congressmen – from both parties – opposed this national energy tax.

“What congressman wants to travel back to their district and have to look their constituents in eye and say ‘yes, I voted to increase your energy bills?’

“And while some may view this vote as a victory, American families will suffer if this bill ever becomes law. After all, the purpose of this legislation is to increase the price of energy, forcing Americans to pay more for the inefficient and unreliable power sources favored by the government.

“With the passage of this bill, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama have made it clear that payoffs to political special interests come before the needs of the American people and our economic and energy security.”

The American Energy Alliance (AEA) is a not-for-profit organization that engages in public policy advocacy and debate surrounding the function, operation, and government regulation of global energy markets. AEA, an affiliate of the Institute for Energy Research, works to educate and mobilize citizens around the idea that freely-functioning energy markets provide the most efficient and effective solutions to today’s global energy and environmental challenges.

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Pending proposal will tax every single American – and their lawnmowers and hot tubs

Washington, DC – In days, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on an unprecedented national energy tax that it will fundamentally alter the American way of life. While Congressman Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure, Hoosiers concerned about rising utility and energy bills should urge Donnelly to oppose this legislation.

Under this cap-and-trade proposal, the federal government would tax all carbon-based energy sources, which represents nearly 86 percent of America’s energy. The job-killing proposal would hit some regions even harder than others. In Rep. Donnelly’s district, working families and small businesses would see massive prices increases, as they rely on 99 percent of the carbon-based energy to keep their economy moving.

“Cap-and-trade is a backdoor attempt to accomplish a very simple goal: increase the price of reliable energy sources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, for every single American through tax hikes and burdensome government mandates,” said Thomas J. Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance (AEA). “At the same time, this measure artificially props up industries that would currently not exist without massive taxpayer subsidies.

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Ohio electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Space has an opportunity to take a second and closer look at this measure, as recent estimates suggest Ohio families could be among the hardest hit.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 0.3 percent of Ohio’s power, which would have to increase by 4,900 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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California electricity rates to increase under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) has an opportunity to take a second and closer look at this measure, as recent estimates suggest California families could be among the hardest hit by it.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 12.6 percent of California’s power, which would have to increase by 19.4 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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Virginia electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Tom Perriello (D-Va.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure – even as recent estimates suggest Virginia families could be among the hardest hit.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 3 percent of Virginia’s power, which would have to increase by 408.5 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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Louisiana electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Joe Cao (R-La.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure – even as recent estimates suggest Louisiana families could be among the hardest hit.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 3.1 percent of Louisiana’s power, which would have to increase by 388.6 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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Illinois electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure – even as recent estimates suggest Illinois families could be among the hardest hit by it.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate the increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 1.4 percent of Illinois’s power, which would have to increase by 971 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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Indiana electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure – even as recent estimates suggest Indiana families could be among the hardest hit by it.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate the increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 0.3 percent of Indiana’s power, which would have to increase by 4,312 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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Arkansas electricity rates to sky rocket under plan pending before Congress

Washington, DC – With only days remaining until the U.S. House of Representatives casts an historic up-or-down vote on one of the largest tax hikes in the history of Congress, Congressman Vic Snyder (D-Ark.) has yet to state publicly where he stands on this measure – even as recent estimates suggest Arkansas families could be among the hardest hit.

Under this proposal, the federal government would mandate increased use of expensive, unreliable forms of power, which currently represent a mere 2.8 percent of the nation’s overall electricity usage. In total, less efficient renewable electricity accounts for 2.9 percent of Arkansas’s power, which would have to increase by 415.5 percent by 2020 to reach this 15 percent mandate.

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