Blue state residents pay significantly more for energy than red states, a new report shows

According to a new report from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), residents of blue states with aggressive climate policies pay significantly more for electricity and fuel than red states.

California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and New Jersey are seven of the top eight continental states for the highest retail electricity prices in 2023. seconds in the ALEC report. Each of these states has some form of green energy mandate, which the ALEC report refers to as a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), or participates in a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, or both things

“As Americans continue to face risks to their energy needs, recent government policies implemented in the name of political agendas ignore the real-life realities Americans face as a result ” said Joe Trotter, director of ALEC’s Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force. and their findings.

I WILL SEE: @SenJohnKennedy Destroy Dep. The Energy Secretary: Exposes the Climate Change Fraud by asking a question

KENNEDY: “If we spend $50 trillion to become carbon neutral… How much will that reduce global temperatures?”

SEC TURK: “This is a global problem.”

KENNEDY: “You . . .” pic.twitter.com/eja5PJzM00

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 4, 2023

Red states like Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Louisiana are leaders in electricity affordability in 2023, according to ALEC’s analysis. Unlike the blue states with electricity least affordable in the lower 48 states, none of those states have their own green energy mandates or participate in cap-and-trade schemes, which the ALEC report calls regional greenhouse gas initiatives greenhouse (RGGI).

A cap-and-trade program is when a government sets an upper limit, or “cap,” on emissions, and then issues pollution permits to market participants, seconds at Cornell University’s Legal Information Institute. These participants can then trade permits with each other, giving the system a market feel as an approach to countering climate change. However, cap-and-trade systems tend to make oil, coal, and natural gas more expensive, raising costs and reducing the number of available jobs. seconds at the Energy Research Institute.

“Among the 48 contiguous states, the 16 with the highest electricity prices all have an RPS in place, as do 18 of the 20 highest-priced states. Similarly, with the exception of Virginia, each of states on RGGI or another cap-and-trade program is among the 15 states with the highest electricity prices,” the report states.

The differences in electricity costs are stark, with the costs of one kilowatt hour in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut more than double the costs of the same unit in states such as Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Oklahoma, according to ALEC’s analysis. .

The data tell a similar story for gas prices too. Regular gas prices are considerably cheaper in states like Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, where average prices are about $3.15 a gallon or less, than in states like California, Washington, Oregon and Illinois, where average prices range from about $3.80 per gallon. gallon at $4.85 per gallon, according to the ALEC analysis.

“Gasoline costs have a huge impact on consumers, so state lawmakers need to be aware of how their state’s laws and policies affect their constituents,” the report states. “States with stricter fuel content requirements, more regulations and above-average taxes generally have higher gas prices than those without.”

ALEC’s report also assesses the costs of diesel fuel, an important economic factor because of its ubiquitous use in trucking and freight.

The report found that “in general, states that are not hostile to fossil fuel manufacturers and that have larger agricultural sectors tend to have lower diesel prices…In areas of the country with higher prices, such as West Coast and Northeast, shipping prices, as well as the eventual cost to the consumer, will increase compared to areas with lower diesel prices. In addition, shipping companies could rationally decide not to serve areas where fuel prices are particularly high, limiting the supply of road shipping.”

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