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Politics : Politics of Energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brumar89 who wrote (78341)	7/15/2017 4:15:23 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 86356

Energy costs making California unaffordable for too many AP Photo/Reed Saxon High-voltage power lines cross adjacent to the proposed location of three BrightSource Energy solar-energy generation complexes in the eastern Mojave Desert several miles from an old mining and railroad townsite called Ivanpah, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. By KEVIN MCCARTHY and VINCE FONG \| Orange County Register PUBLISHED: July 13, 2017 at 4:36 pm \| UPDATED: July 13, 2017 at 4:39 pm California continues to grow increasingly unaffordable as Californians continue to bear rising costs of everyday necessities — such as water, housing, food and energy. In the Central Valley, we hear story after story about how expensive it is living and working in our state as family budgets are getting squeezed. This cannot continue. When it comes to energy costs, it certainly doesn’t have to be this way. California is blessed with seemingly boundless natural resources and innovative outside-the-box thinking, yet our citizens suffer energy costs that are two times higher than the U.S. national average. Affordability is the most significant issue facing California, yet onerous regulations and red tape only worsen this problem for so many California families. Here is how dire the situation is becoming: • When considering cost-of-living, California has the highest poverty rate in the entire nation. • In the last year alone, homelessness soared by 23 percent in Los Angeles County. • California has the highest average gas prices in the continental United States. • Over the last year, California resident ratepayers paid $4.8 billion more than the average ratepayer elsewhere in the U.S. using the same amount of energy. Addressing the energy cost issue would go a long way for families across the state that are struggling to work and live here. In Washington, D.C., producing more and reducing the price of American energy has been a continuous focus. The benefit will be more American jobs, less dependence on foreign energy sources, and a safer global environment. This is a commonsense effort. On the other hand, Sacramento has been going in the opposite direction. Almost all of the proposed policies and regulations have only exacerbated the high price of energy. Residents in the inland areas of the state know all too well the shock of seeing their monthly energy bills skyrocket during this warm summer season when we have no choice but to keep the air conditioner running. California’s energy policies need to be re-evaluated under the lens of affordability. California leads the entire world in innovation and technology. The market forces that have allowed California’s unrivaled tech sector to flourish can do the same for the energy sector. As innovation happens, energy costs correspondingly decrease. The exact opposite occurs with government-mandated regulatory and policy requirements on energy production and integration. The most egregious example of Sacramento going in the wrong direction is the recent gas tax passed by Sacramento Democrats. This was the largest gas tax increase in state history, which will kick in later in November. It will add 12 cents to a gallon of gasoline and 20 cents to a gallon of diesel, further taking more out of the wallets of hardworking Californians commuting to work, picking up their kids from school, or going to the grocery store. Resource-rich California can do so much better than what the supermajority Democrats in the state Legislature have done to working-class families in this state. There is simply no excuse for Sacramento’s endless stream of policies that increase the cost of energy when we have all of the innovation, natural resources and opportunities to make energy more affordable. Furthermore, California can play a significant role in contributing to the country’s effort to be more energy independent, but the current trend of Sacramento policies is going against important efforts to produce more affordable energy. By creating a regulatory groundwork that short-circuits local energy production in California, Californians are left with more imports of fuel sources, once again forcing California residents to bear the burden of higher energy costs. This is called a “lose-lose” for the Golden State. Californians can brighten its future by insisting these policies and regulations be reversed, leading to more affordable energy costs. ocregister.com