The Climate Bill Will Cost You Just 23¢ a Day, EIA Analysis Shows

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That's a week worth of climate change prevention... photo: Chris Dlugosz via flickr.

You've surely heard various competing claims about how much the American Clean Energy & Security Act will increase energy prices. Well, new analysis carried out by the Energy Information Agency, at the request of Reps. Waxman and Markey, confirms earlier estimates that while the bill will cost consumers, it won't cost them very much:

The new EIA analysis projects that the climate bill, as passed by the House, will cost consumers $83 a year (adjusted for inflation) by 2030. The Department of Energy points out that's about the cost of a postage stamp a day -- 23¢ in fact.

I suppose no one at the DoE has actually put a stamp on anything lately, as that's actually closer to half the price of a postage stamp, but there you go.

Secretary Chu Urges Passage of Climate Bill
Energy Secretary Steven Chu took the opportunity to urge passage of climate legislation:

This new, independent and highly respected analysis confirms the findings of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office and other studies: we can move to a clean energy future at a cost of less than a postage stamp per family per day. We will get more clean energy from wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal and other sources while reducing our dependence on foreign oil. The legislation will create millions of jobs that can’t be outsourced, and America will be positioned as a global technology leader on clean energy.

The bottom line is this: This legislation will create a new set of clean energy incentives that will be good for America – for jobs, for our economy, and for the environment. We need to seize this opportunity and pass this bill.

Here's the report: Energy Market and Economic Impacts of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009

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