Free Republic

Louisiana’s major electric utilities are still pushing state regulators to allow them to charge customers for the costs of a new statewide energy efficiency program and for the electricity customers will no longer need because of that program. A large group that included Louisiana Public Service Commission staff, utility company executives, consumer advocates and other energy experts met Wednesday to evaluate bids from companies that want to oversee Louisiana’s new energy efficiency program. The LPSC’s new energy efficiency program will require certain statewide energy savings targets. Hitting those targets could require the administrator to implement things like appliance upgrades for...

Americans looking for shelter from inflation are unlikely to find any at home. Inflation under the Biden administration has sent the costs of maintaining a household soaring. Rent, electricity, and garbage collection prices are all up nearly six percent. The price of rent and associated shelter costs have jumped more than five percent since March 2023: — Owners’ equivalent rent (the opportunity cost of not renting out the home you own): Up 5.9 percent since March 2023 / Up 0.4 percent since February 2024 — Water and sewer maintenance services: Up 5.1 percent since March 2023 / Up 0.5 percent...

Four coal industry regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will likely cause electricity prices to rise and may “compromise” electric grid reliability — especially in the Midwest and South — according to the Government Accountability Office. “Several representatives from power companies and officials from federal and state regulatory agencies have expressed concerns that as companies incur additional costs in responding to these additional regulations, and as the electricity supply is affected by generating unit requirements, electricity prices could increase and reliability — the ability to meet consumers’ electricity demands — could be compromised,” the GAO