“America’s coal-based electricity industry is grateful to Senator Inhofe and other Members of Congress who understand coal’s importance to the American economy now and well into the future”

“Congressional action is essential to stop this heavy-handed new regulation by EPA that will needlessly drive up energy prices for all Americans and destroy jobs,” said Steve Miller, president and CEO of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. “With half of Americans now devoting more than 20 percent of their family budget to energy costs, EPA is making energy much more expensive with the most costly regulation ever imposed by the agency on the coal-fueled electricity industry. Given the fragility of America’s economic recovery, that’s the wrong policy, at the worst possible time.”

The effects of rising energy costs are the subject of a recently released report, “Energy Cost Impacts on American Families.” Some of the major findings are that –

·         Energy costs have almost doubled for the average family and are eating up a disproportionate share of low- and fixed-income families’ budgets.

·         Energy cost burdens are greatest on the poorest families.

·         Minority families are particularly burdened by higher energy costs.

·         Lower- and fixed-income senior households are among those most vulnerable to energy price increases.

·         Electricity is a relative bargain among energy products. This is due, in part, to the utility industry’s reliance on affordable coal.

·         EPA regulations drive up electricity prices. Electricity price increases over the past two decades are due in part to costs associated with meeting clean air and other environmental standards.

The full study is available at: http://www.americaspower.org/sites/default/files/Energy_Cost_Impacts_2012_FINAL.pdf