Seminole Electric Vows to Fight for Affordable and Reliable Electricity for Cooperative Consumers<\/p>\n
In a speech delivered at Georgetown University, President Obama announced a broad new federal mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, specifically targeting coal-fired generation. The President instructed federal regulators to adopt carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rules for both new and existing power plants, effectively outlawing coal-burning facilities.<\/p>\n
Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Seminole) CEO and General Manager Tim Woodbury stated, \u201cThe President\u2019s scheme will impose a massive new climate tax on all electric consumers and raise monthly electric bills across the country, especially electric cooperative consumers.<\/p>\n
Seminole is one of the largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the country. Headquartered in Tampa, Fl., Seminole\u2019s mission is to provide reliable, competitively priced, wholesale electric power to its 10 Members, which include four of the largest distribution cooperatives in the United States. Approximately 1.7 million people and businesses in parts of 45 Florida counties rely on Seminole Member distribution cooperatives for electricity.<\/p>\n
Seminole relies on coal for approximately 50 percent of the energy its Members need. Seminole completed construction of these coal units in the early 1980s. This was a time, following the first OPEC oil embargo, when Congress disallowed the continued use of natural gas for power generation and required that new power plants use coal as the primary fuel source. Over the years, Seminole has invested more than $530 million in environmental pollution controls, making its coal-fired generating facility one of the cleanest power plants in the country. Now the President proposes to penalize consumers who buy power from electric utilities that burn coal. This will hurt millions of consumers and businesses in Florida and across the country.<\/p>\n
Seminole\u2019s mission is to keep electric bills affordable while providing Members the power they need to improve their quality of life. Seeking to restrict CO2 emissions at a time when there is no commercially viable carbon capture technology available will hurt consumers, further damage an already weak economy, and negatively affect jobs, while making no measurable improvement in the environment.<\/p>\n
Seminole will join with electric cooperatives from around the country to fight all proposals to ensure electric cooperative member consumers have affordable and reliable electricity.<\/p>\n
For more information, please visit www.seminole-electric.com<\/p>\n
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