(The Center Square) – Thousands of Cascade Natural Gas customers can expect their power bills to go up again soon, which the utility attributes to the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) and Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA). …
For homes hooked up after July 25, 2021, average monthly bills are expected to increase by 6.28%, or $5.83 per month. …
“The increases that we are seeing right now on home heating from natural gas are a direct result of the Climate Commitment Act, which is that tax on CO2 emissions,” said Todd Myers, vice president for research at Washington Policy Center.
Myers said the utility companies aren’t to blame for the rate hikes because they are required to comply with climate goals set by the state. …
Myers noted that those who supported the CCA and CETA should be most bothered by not seeing results despite all the money spent to supposedly combat climate change.
“Electricity costs are going up. Home heating costs are going up. Gas prices are going up. Even if you say it’s worth it, we’re still not getting what we paid for and most of the money is going to bureaucracy, government programs, or things that don’t actually yield environmental benefits,” Myers said. “I think that is where people who truly care about these things should be most frustrated about the amount of money we waste to do absolutely nothing to reduce the risk of climate change.”
Puget Sound Energy has also been raising rates due to CCA compliance with a large rate hike right around the corner.
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