Lawmakers feeling the heat of California’s rising green energy costs
 Workers install solar power modules for producing heat on the roof of a house Oct. 15, 2011, in Wessling, Germany. | Alexandra Beier/Getty Images |
| By REBEKAH ALVEY, Politico’s Power Switch In today’s environmental news, California’s efforts to meet ambitious climate goals are increasing the daily cost of life, testing the state’s political will to quickly transition away from fossil fuels while it copes with the ravages of rising temperatures Some Californians’ electric bills have more than doubled in the past decade, as utilities bury power lines to reduce wildfire risk and build out transmission for renewables, writes Wes Venteicher. And, as Anne Mulkern reports, a proposal to boost low-carbon fuels in the state could increase gasoline prices by almost 50 cents a gallon next year. The result: sticker shock that has some Democratic politicians reconsidering the state’s approach, particularly in an election year.“Californians are fed up,” said Democratic state Assemblymember Marc Berman at a recent news conference on the utility bills. “My constituents are pissed off. I know because they told me over and over again at every community coffee that I had in the fall and in the winter.” California is not alone. Other Democratic states like New York and Massachusetts are grappling with how to transition from fossil fuels without adding financial burdens for ratepayers Two climate proposals are now up in the air in California. One would restructure utility bills so that the wealthy pay the most; at least 20 Democratic state lawmakers now want to repeal it after voting for it two years ago. (Though the bill passed, a state agency has yet to put it into a regulation.) The other is a proposed overhaul of the state’s low-carbon fuel standard. The California Air Resources Board says a rewrite of the standard would push more Californians to switch to electric vehicles and help the state meet its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Read the full story here If you liked this post, you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed daily with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation. |
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