pellets hit 2.59 in tractor supply in windham. heres why, cost going up everywhere in the northeast. Energy Crisis Hits Home For those of you whove regularly read the Energy Brief over the course of the last year, the news of rising electricity rates will come as no surprise. Still, the sticker shock is so significant it was hard to pick just a few headlines to share. Data from the Energy Information Administration shows NH energy prices are much higher in most categories than the U.S. average. Source: EIA Several New Hampshire utilities have recently asked state regulators to approve significant increases in the energy component of their rates, driving the average electric bill for some NH residents this winter as much as 50 percent higher a month. Meanwhile in Massachusetts, rates are expected to hit record levels. These increases will shrink homeowners disposable income, add to local businesses operating costs and strain local government budgets. Consumer advocates and opinion makers are already asking officials to do something to soften the blow, both this winter and in winters to come. New Englands increased demand for natural gas must be addressed, but if the focus is only on pipelines and the supply of natural gas, the regions overall problem will not be corrected. Overreliance on natural gas has left New England more susceptible to price volatility on the energy market at the same time that a number of non-gas fired plants have announced retirement. While adding more pipelines can help minimize the price spikes, it does nothing to reduce our dependence on natural gas in the long term, and does not get us to our clean energy goals. Our high electricity and home heating prices have made energy a political issue across New England. People are looking to elected officials to help with the problem, but they remain in a tough position. With opposition to pipelines, transmission lines, wind turbines and more, finding balance between local interest and the regions energy needs will continue to be a challenge. Energy Briefs An archive of all previous Energy Briefs. > Visit Archive Electric Rates Set to Spike This Winter Boston Globe, 25 September 2014 Energy industry officials have been warning for several years that New Englands growing dependence on natural gas could result in price spikes if steps such as the expansion of the pipeline system are not taken. About two-thirds of the electricity used in Massachusetts is made up with natural gas, up from about 40% just six years ago. > Read Article Liberty Utilities Requests a 46% Rate Hike Union Leader, 23 September 2014 An average residential customer using 665 kilowatt hours a month would see his bill rise by $51.57 a month, from $11048 to $162.05. > Read Article Electricity Prices to Soar CommonWealth Magazine, 23 September 2014 The sharply higher rates are coming at a time when several of the regions coal power plants are shutting down and the New England governors are debating where replacement electricity will come from. > Read Article N.H. Co-op Raising Electric Rates Valley News, 24 September 2014 New England ratepayers will feel the impact until the pipeline capacity challenge is met or new sources of electricity make their way into New England.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 21:19:01 +0000
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