The April 28 story reported “Clark PUD opposes carbon tax plan: Initiative 732 wouldn’t reduce emissions, would cost utility and its customers millions, commissioner says.” Clark Public Utilities is right. The pollution-focused Initiative 732, which would create a state carbon tax, would by its very nature cause electric utility rates to go up. Correcting and lowering emission percentages would cost a great deal of money. If no corrections, the state would tax the PUD. Either way, electric rates would go up to cover these costs.
The PUD gets 40 percent of its electricity from the River Road generating plant, a natural gas plant that is a heavy carbon emitter. Maybe what the PUD should do is close down the plant and ask their costumers to reduce the amount of electricity they use. Conservation is often an acceptable alternative to increased costs.