Letters: Costs of climate change denial start to show up in our energy bills By Jessica Hendricks5/19/2021
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is set to vote on some of these potential increases on Wednesday. For some residents, we’re expecting a roughly 10% increase in monthly utility bills from 2020/21 weather-related disasters alone. This comes at a time when many Louisianans are still cash-strapped from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. If weather-related disasters continue to increase as predicted with climate change, these costs will continue to pile up on bills. Despite our cheap electric rates, Louisiana has some of the highest electricity bills in the country, due to our high energy usage, but also because of storm costs. Charges for hurricanes Katrina and Rita just rolled off utility bills in 2018. With the costs of climate change expected to be in the trillions of dollars, Gov. John Bel Edwards set greenhouse gas emission goals for the state, aiming to get to net-zero by 2050. Although ambitious, it is apparent that Louisianans are already paying the costs associated with a changing climate and serious action must be taken now. We are already paying the costs associated with a changing climate and without real climate solutions, bills will continue to pile up. Louisiana can’t afford to ignore climate change. About the Author
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Jessica has a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, a passion for community empowerment and civic engagement, an insatiable love for international travel and spends off time geeking out to New Orleans’ rich and quirky history.
Jessica served as the Board Chair for the Berkeley Chapter of the ACLU, Program/Interim Director of Global Community Monitor and Community Organizer at the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|