PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2024
Contact: Jacob Posik
Director of Legislative Affairs
Office: 207.321.2550
New England Think Tanks: ‘Green’ Energy Mandates Will Double Electric Rates, Cause Rolling Blackouts in Region
New analysis quantifies the regional costs of Maine and New England’s green energy decarbonization plans
PORTLAND, Maine – With New England state governments committed to reducing their carbon emissions at least 80% by 2050, residents and businesses can expect electricity rates to double along with rolling blackouts, according to a new joint report from several New England think tanks. The study concludes that “green” energies — like wind and solar — simply cannot meet regional demands for electricity.
Led by Always on Energy Research (AOER), a research organization dedicated to ensuring that every state in America has affordable, reliable energy, the report, The Staggering Costs of New England’s Green Energy Policies, was completed by Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy in New Hampshire, the Ethan Allen Institute in Vermont, the Fiscal Alliance Foundation in Massachusetts, Maine Policy Institute, Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity and Yankee Institute in Connecticut.
The report finds that compliance with New England decarbonization plans would cost $815 billion through 2050. New England families would see their electric bills increase by an average of $99 per year. Commercial businesses would see their costs increase by $489 per year while industrial (manufacturing) customers would see their electric bills increase by an average of $5,280 per year. The report shows that on a per-capita basis, the cumulative cost of decarbonization increases expenses for each person in New England by an additional $2,061 in 2030, $15,552 in 2040 and an additional $51,914 in 2050. All these increases will make New England more unaffordable.
Although the organizations support the goal of achieving a cleaner environment, the report finds that switching primarily to “green” energy is not entirely feasible for the electrical grid of ISO-New England — an independent, not-for-profit corporation responsible for keeping electricity flowing across the six New England states. The study concludes that ISO-New England may be unable to coordinate electricity to power the region within 11 years, warning that “[i]f each of the New England states adheres to the same renewable-intensive path, a blackout scenario could be dire indeed.”
According to the study, powering New England without interruption during a year in which wind and sunshine are plentiful would require 225 gigawatts (GW) of renewables — or equivalent to power generated by 12,000 wind turbines and 129 million solar panels. Even more renewables would be required to power New England in a less sunny or windy year.
New England is responsible for less than 0.4% of global emissions; it is unclear just how much cleaner the environment will become in exchange for the decarbonization costs that have been imposed on the region and its people.
“It’s time for policymakers in Maine and the region to understand there are real human and economic costs to their renewable energy agenda, said Maine Policy Institute CEO Matthew Gagnon. For a state like Maine, in a region like New England, it simply does not make sense to continue down this path when we account for such a minuscule amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Doing so will cause serious hardship for working families and make our regional grid far less reliable.”
Ultimately, the report finds that the cost of reducing carbon dioxide emissions under these plans exceeds the benefits of doing so, especially because in many cases, “green” policies have been enacted without any effort to quantify the environmental benefits they will secure. This raises the real possibility that New England states are imposing net harm on their economies and citizens by imposing policies whose costs outweigh their benefits.
To read the full paper, click here.
About the Authors
Always On Energy Research (AOER) believes every resident in every state has the right to know how much energy policy passed at local, state, and federal levels will cost them in terms of standard of living, including monetary and reliability.
At Americans for Prosperity Foundation, we empower and educate Americans on the proven and principled solutions to our country’s most challenging issues. We believe in people. When Americans have freedom and opportunity, they can achieve extraordinary things. Through education, research, and community engagement we can empower Americans to achieve their full potential.
The mission of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy is to develop and advance practical, free-market policies that promote prosperity and opportunity for all.
The Ethan Allen Institute’s mission is to influence public policy in Vermont by helping its people to better understand and put into practice the fundamentals of a free society: individual liberty, private property, competitive free enterprise, limited and frugal government, strong local communities and personal responsibility.
Maine Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to expand individual liberty and economic freedom in Maine. Maine Policy is the strongest voice in Augusta for taxpayers and believes in an open, transparent, and accountable state government.
Fiscal Alliance Foundation in Massachusetts promotes individual liberty and greater fiscal responsibility and transparency in government for a better New England, through education and legal assistance.
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity is dedicated to providing concerned citizens, the media, and public officials in Rhode Island with empirical research data, while also advancing market-based solutions to major public policy issues in the state.
Yankee Institute is the eyes, ears and voice for hard-working people who want a prosperous Connecticut. Our common-sense solutions drive positive legislative results to strengthen our communities and build a vibrant, hopeful future.
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Maine Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to expand individual liberty and economic freedom in Maine. Learn more about our work at www.mainepolicy.org.