Mario Loyola
Electricity rates in U.S. states have diverged sharply in recent decades. In 2004 residential electricity in the five most expensive states was only twice as expensive on average as in the five most affordable states. Today it is 160% more expensive.
What explains the difference? State policies. Eight of the 10 most costly states have enacted renewable portfolio standards, “net zero” carbon-emission mandates, and regional cap-and-trade schemes. All eight are controlled by Democrats.
New York gets special honors. The Empire State has refused to develop the prodigious shale gas resources that have enriched Pennsylvania. And it has blocked construction of new natural-gas pipelines, depriving New Yorkers—and New Englanders—of affordable electricity.
Among the most populous states, Florida stands out as an island of sanity in a sea of government madness. Under continuous Republican governance since 1999, the Sunshine State took advantage of the shale boom, prioritizing natural gas over renewable energy. That has kept electricity prices low.
Florida relies on natural gas for 75% of its electricity, more than any other large state. That’s remarkable because of the five largest states, the other four—California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas—all have significant natural-gas reserves, while Florida has none. Yet compared with Florida, residential electricity is 27% more expensive in Pennsylvania, 60% more expensive in New York and 137% more expensive in California. Even pro-energy, GOP-controlled Texas has more expensive electricity than Florida, partly because of its large renewable energy sector, which makes its grid costly and difficult to operate.
Because it has avoided the misguided climate policies of other states, Florida is better positioned to weather the historic energy-scarcity crisis now bearing down on America’s electricity grid. Just as electricity demand is soaring across the country, driven by electric vehicles and artificial-intelligence data centers, a train wreck of federal policy failures is constraining the grid’s ability to meet the new demand. » Read More
https://www.heritage.org/energy/commentary/how-florida-keeps-electricity-plentiful-and-rates-low