Your Energy. Your Co-op.
Your Future.
We enjoyed a good turnout at our district member-owner meeatings again this year, despite higher energy costs at the gasoline pumps. It’s always good for those of us who work for you to meet you and put faces to your names – and it’s good for you to know those of us who work for you.
Of course, higher energy costs might be the reason many of you came out to your local meeting. We know you’re already concerned about your monthly electric bills and you wanted to know more about what’s predicted for the future.
If you were there, please consider this short message to be a reminder to take action and ask your legislative representatives to consider their actions carefully.
For those who weren’t able to come out this year, here are a few highlights of our report to you:
Legislation is under consideration in both Lansing and Washington, D.C., to deal with environmental issues and climate change.
Our concern is that our lawmakers are looking at only one aspect of the energy-environment situation – doing whatever it takes to halt global warming – and not questioning the true costs of the actions they’re trying to mandate.
In Lansing, two bills passed by the Michigan House call for 1) a mandated 10% of our energy supply coming from renewable, Michigan-based sources in the near future; and 2) an energy efficiency initiative that will essentially add a two percent tax to each of our home electric budgets.
We certainly believe in clean energy and want to help preserve our environment, but we don’t see how 10% of our state’s power is going to come from currently non-existent energy sources so quickly.
And, as a member-owned cooperative, we’ve always been focused on energy efficiency, helping you get the best value for your energy dollar. We don’t think a law, or a two percent tax, will make us any more determined to work for your best interests.
We believe there are three pieces to the energy supply puzzle – providing clean, affordable, and reliable electricity for you and your family to use in the future. All three pieces must be balanced in any successful solution to our climate and energy needs. If the entire focus is on clean energy, as it appears to be now, then affordable and reliable power may not be possible.
Contact your Michigan and U.S. representatives now and ask them to make sure they’re considering the entire puzzle, not just one piece of it, as they discuss and vote on energy legislation. Click here ideas on what questions to ask, and an easy way to reach your Congressperson.
Mark Kappler
General Manager & CEO
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative
Reprinted from June 2008 Country Lines Magazine |
