If climate change legislation had a tag "sewn into its seams", a One Size Fits All tag would be about as accurate as that tag in my stocking cap.
No two states are exactly the same in they way they produce or use electricity--they use varying mixes of fossil fuel and renewable energy resources. Climate change legislation currently calls for a cap-and-trade system that will force fossil-fuel generating stations to purchase credits on the market if they exceed the "cap" for carbon emissions. The use of fossil fuels varies from state to state, and states in the Midwest are expected to be impacted the most by a cap-and-trade system.
On July 14th, Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns called upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide an analysis of the cost impact in the ag sector, outlining the following items as "must haves":
- State by state analysis of the cost of cap-and-trade for agricultural industries;
- Crop-specific analysis of the impact of legislation on farmers engaged in the production of corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, etc;
- Analysis of how legislation will affect farmers/ranchers who produce cattle, dairy, pork and other livestock; and
- An assessment of how many acres will be taken out of production as a result of the bill, and what impact that will have on the availability of food, fiber, feed, biofuels and other agri-products.
It seems in recent months that there has been a push to hurry up and pass this legislation, even when it wasn't fully examined or read by Congress. We are grateful that Senator Johanns has stepped up to request that this One Size Fits All proposal be examined and "tried on" before buying into it. We need to know exactly how this legislation will "fit" here in Nebraska. How far will it stretch our budgets? Will our corn farmers and cattle ranchers be able to continue their operations under this plan? These are questions that need to be asked before our Senate is rushed into a vote.
If you are concerned about how climate change legislation will "fit" here in Nebraska, we urge you to get involved and speak up to Senator Johanns, and Senator Ben Nelson by logging on to www.southernpd.com/oeof.
LeAnne Doose,
Communications Director,
Southern Power District