Yo are about to be 'Cap n' Traded'

Appalachian Power said this year's $96 million rate hike is necessary to recoup what the electric company spends for coal -- and to purchase power and pay for scrubbers at the John Amos power plant near St. Albans.

How can this be when coal is near and all-time low?

Also, the scrubbers were mandated by the EPA BEFORE cap-and-trade proposals (which I am not a supporter of, by the way).

How can you blame Amos' rate hikes, then, on cap-and-trade?

If I'm not mistaken, Cap and Trade legislation has been bantered about since the 60's. And I know Al Gore made a pretty big deal of climate change 8 years ago or more.

While the recent bill passed in the house is new, the debate and proposed legislation preceded the scrubbers, which by the way have created another problem that should start reappearing in a few weeks.

At any rate, as utilities are guranteed a profit, unless they can prove this rate is needed to maintain that profit, then it should be denied.

If I'm not mistaken, Cap and Trade legislation has been bantered about since the 60's. And I know Al Gore made a pretty big deal of climate change 8 years ago or more.

I believe you are mistaken about Cap and Trade since the '60's.

Also, the scrubbers, I believe, are not for CO2, they are for sulfur dioxide (not greenhouse gasses) and were mandated many years ago.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19978459.html

Just so you don't have to depend on my "infinite wisdom" or "expert knowledge on every subject".

Will you now admit that YOU didn't know what you were talking about? You know, that thing you accuse me of all of the time?

I knew the scrubbers were put up for sulfur dioxide but one of the side effects was that it also increased the amount of carbon left in coal ash because when they went up, I had to start getting fly ash from Gavin Power Plant in Cheshire, OH at a cost of $29.00 a ton delivered versus what I was getting from John Amos for $6.00 a ton delivered.

To say the least, it drastically increased my raw material cost so I remember it very well. Now that may or may not reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, I don't know but if the carbon content increases in the after product, I think it's logical to assume it reduces the amount entering the atmosphere.

But I could be wrong. Unlike the impression you give out Terrybaugh, I don't think I'm perfect.

As for the part about the 60's, I read it on a blog this morning so I can't state the accuracy but if you disagree, feel free to prove it wrong.

To say the least, it drastically increased my raw material cost so I remember it very well. Now that may or may not reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, I don't know but if the carbon content increases in the after product, I think it's logical to assume it reduces the amount entering the atmosphere.

No, actually, it increases it: SO2 + CaCO3 = CaSO3 + CO2.

But I could be wrong. Unlike the impression you give out Terrybaugh, I don't think I'm perfect.

Had to make another personal attack, didn't you. Feel better?

As to this history of cap and trade. It was first researched in the late 60's. The Proof of Principal was the Clean Air Act of 1977 but was then called a "least cost solution". It was not until the Acid Rain part of the Clean Air Act of 1990 that "cap and trade" was first called such and bruited about.

I'll concede that you may have been partially correct on that one.

For you and Sam to blame price hikes on cap and trade when Amos announced the REAL reasons (not that they are valid, either) shows how much your vision is blurred by your feelings.

I hate cap and trade. It let some keep on polluting with impunity. Poor design, poor legislation.

I didn't blame price hikes on anything Terry. I merely related my personal experience with John Amos and the scrubbers. After they were installed, the carbon conent in the ash increased. Anything over 3.0 (what part per that relates to, I don't know other then what I was told when I ordered) will cause the ash to absorb the water faster then you can get a good mix of cement so it makes it unuasable. As such, I couldn't use the ash from Amos as a filler in cement so I had to go elsewhere at nearly 5 times the cost.

As for feeling better, I rode today so yes I do, thanks for asking. I appreciate your concern.