Pubs keep saying the utilities will just pass the carbpn tax on to the

[napi21]

consumers. That's probably true, but just how much are we talking about being passed on to each consumer? A penny per KWH? Two cents? I think they're overblowing the impact of this!

[guitar man]

1. that's because

their hatred of any kind of regulation is bound to let them.

[madokie]

2. Republicans are not good for America anymore

[Statistical]

3. "A penny per KWH? Two cents?" Ouch.

My electric rate is $0.11 per KWH. A $0.02 rise would be a 20% rise in my electric bill, of course there also would be a 20% rise in natural gas bill. Water treatment is pretty energy intensive too.

Hopefully it is a lot lower than $0.02 per KWH.

Anyways I don't like it because it is a regressive tax.

Energy (electricity, natural gas, gasoline)
Food
Water
Transportation

would be impacted the most directly and they make up the lions share of a poor persons budget. A 20% rise in those costs would cripple the poor and would be a huge burden on the middle class too.

Consumption taxes are bad. A rich person who is 1000x more wealthy doesn't use 1000x as much energy, food, water, transportation thus the impact on them is much less.

IT is a real concern. I would like to see some hard # on how much it costs before I support it.

[napi21]

5. I don't know where you live, but I just ckecked MY bill from last month. The cost of the

electricity was .03 per kWh. The total bill was $133.98 and .01 would have increased it by $11.31. I suspect my guess at ,01 was HIGH! We'd probably be talking about fractions of a cent added to each bill.

I referenced electricity because that is the utility that uses the most coal power AFIOK.

We're retired and living on SS, but I don't have a problem addid a few $$ to my utility bills if it will push the businesses to cleaner fuels.

[Statistical]

6. Your numbers make no sense.

0.03 per Kwh but adding 0.01 (which is 33%) increases your bill less than 10%?

You most likely are looking at only generation not transmission. Take your total bill and divide by your consumption (1000kwh) and that is your true cost per KWH.

Still you are missing the point. It isn't an electricity tax it is a carbon tax. It is doubly regressive. First virtually everything uses electricty but then many other products release CO2. Take fertalizer for example. The plant will see their electricity prices rise 20% which is bad (and will be passed on) but they also will see their water prices rise 10%. Now they use natural gas to make fertalizer so the raw material will also rise in price. So they are hit by 3 rising prices. Now they pass that on by raising the price of fertalizer.

Well here the chain starts all over again. A farmer uses fertalizer but they also use diesel in farm equipments. BANG + BANG = Double BANG. So the cost of corn or wheat goes up. A cereal company sees their raw materials go up but also water + electricity BANG + BANG + BANG. The trickle down effect is going to be rough on the end consumer.


We're retired and living on SS, but I don't have a problem addid a few $$ to my utility bills if it will push the businesses to cleaner fuels.

Of course it won't just be on electricity. You are talking an extra $11/mo on your electricity. Use natural gas? If so same there. What about a car. If you spend $200 per month expect the same 10% tax there too = +$20/mo. Get city water. Over half the cost of "water" is actually energy in water treatment. Maybe another $5 there. Food? Mostly energy again. Spend $300/mo on groceries expect a $30 tax there.

So it isn't just $11. It is more like $11 here, $20 there, $5 here, $30 there.

To the rich ($100K+) another $100 a month in taxes wouldn't be noticed. To someone making $10K per year $100 in taxes per month is 10% of their income. Unlike income tax there is no progressive system and no way to exclude the poor. Everyone pays equally which means those who can't least afford to pay end up paying the same as those who can pay much more.

Unlike a tax on guns, or alchohol, or gasoline this is a universal consumption tax. The poor will be unable to avoid it. Virtually everything uses energy and virtually everything releases CO2.

Didn't Obama promise not to raise taxes on those making less than $250K per year? A tax on energy will be a tax on everyone.

[Hangingon]

7. $0.11 is about right for here.

[SharonAnn]

4. They currently pass on the pollution to their customers who get sick and die from it.

It's called an "externalized cost". It means that someone else pays the bills, and it's most likely someone who has no say about creating the cost or in having to pay it.

I'd rather pay a little bit in money for the whole cost of producing electricity, I can always choose to use less, than cause many people to pay with their health and their lives, not to mention their dollars for the health care they need because of the pollution.