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First Energy Gets Boost From Clean Air Rules

Huffington -- NEW YORK -- Instead of complaining about clean air rules, maybe utilities should cheer them.

Sometimes, the rules lead to big gains.

First Energy, a utility based in Ohio, got such a boost Thursday, a week after the company announced it would close six coal-fired plants, blaming new federal rules aimed at slowing emissions of mercury and other toxins.

Without these plants, electricity prices in parts of Ohio dominated by First Energy are expected to nearly double at a power auction scheduled for May.

The reason: There will now be a smaller fleet of power plants available to meet potential power needs. This smaller supply means the price to coax companies like First Energy to make their plants available will rise.

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Submitted Feb 06, 2012 By: bar1035

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Papa_Gallo All-Star Author Houston Posts:914 Points:236,540 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 5:26:13 PM Ignore Papa_Gallo Report Abuse They don't need the cheap power in Ohio, the unions have run their business off the state already. Now the proles will have to spend the summer swating because they will not be able to afford the A/C bills.
DanMtz Champion Author Oakland Posts:1,522 Points:881,300 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 3:20:26 PM Ignore DanMtz Report Abuse Time to build natural gas-fired power plants.
joseph000 Champion Author Houston Posts:1,063 Points:205,665 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 10:01:04 AM Ignore joseph000 Report Abuse What is interesting is the claim by business they don't have time to upgrade, but decades have passed with a demand for lower emissions and they were using lobbying to delay implementation of the lower standards. What they are really whining about is they thought they could lobby their way out of better emission standards forever, and failed to do anything to prepare for an actual change. If they had just invested in upgrading their plants instead of fighting to pollute, they would be fine now. These power producers aren't victims, they are stupid, and the higher rates consumers will pay in the short term are because they allowed the power companies to delay. The rates will drop when other plants that meet the standards are built.
Buckeyee Champion Author Maine Posts:2,422 Points:557,655 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 9:45:40 AM Ignore Buckeyee Report Abuse Fewer power plants will create a power crisis which enables the same companies to raise rates. Another hidden green tax forced on the consumer.
northeast2 Champion Author New York Posts:3,173 Points:853,760 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 9:29:43 AM Ignore northeast2 Report Abuse Higher electric bills to get rid of vaporized mercury? I'll pay it.
GingoutMD Champion Author Maryland Posts:2,664 Points:545,480 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 8:35:25 AM Ignore GingoutMD Report Abuse No matter how it pans out, the consumer will pay a higher utility bill (unless consumers can cut down in their usage).
dgerst Champion Author South Carolina Posts:1,031 Points:223,315 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 8:26:46 AM Ignore dgerst Report Abuse Power prices have been driven lower in recent years by low natural gas prices, which in many markets set the price of electricity.
uglytom Champion Author Florida Posts:6,200 Points:1,291,840 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 8:17:22 AM Ignore uglytom Report Abuse Really?
Evilmaddog Champion Author British Columbia Posts:1,455 Points:596,555 Joined:Aug 2010	Message Posted: Feb 6, 2012 8:03:15 AM Ignore Evilmaddog Report Abuse wishful thinking