Political Quotes

“This amendment is one last attempt to preserve some semblance of ability by the States to protect their electric consumers in the event the costs of this Federal mandate program should be too great and allows, therefore, the Governor to opt out or waive the provisions of the program in that one eventuality. From the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy, we have an account of every single utility in the country in every single State, by State, showing exactly what this Federal mandate in the Bingaman provision is expected to cost retail consumers. It averages around a 4-, 5-, 6-percent per year increase, but it varies from region to region and utility to utility. The point is, when customers begin to feel the pinch of the Federal mandate in the Bingaman amendment, they will ask you or your Governors is there anything they can do. My amendment says, yes, the Governor would have the ability in that event to waive the provisions of the Federal mandate, if he finds those provisions are adversely affecting the retail customers of the State.”