scottw@standard-democrat.com
SIKESTON -- How new regulations handed down by the EPA will affect electricity rates for Sikeston residents and businesses is still up in the air.
"The president announced Monday, June 2, his longterm fix of reducing carbon emissions," said Ed Throop, executive director of the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities. "It does cause concern."
Just how much concern it should cause is still unknown, he said.
"It was done on a state-by-state basis using a very complicated formula designed by EPA," Throop explained. "The state of Missouri has been designated to reduce carbon emissions 21 percent by 2020 and then 30 percent by 2030. That sounds like a lot, but take a look at the state of Washington: they were mandated to cut 70 percent. For Texas it is 60 percent."
While Missouri's mandated cut isn't as high as those states, that 30 percent is still going to be an issue, according to Throop.
"It is a problem for Missouri because over 80 percent of all electricity is generated by coal," he said. "There are a lot of old plants in the 40 to 50 year old range in the state that will definitely shut down because they wont be able to afford to meet any of the regulations."
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