{"id":448976,"date":"2026-06-06T15:12:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T22:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=448976"},"modified":"2026-06-06T15:12:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T22:12:03","slug":"a-tale-of-two-types-of-states-those-with-dumb-energy-laws-and-those-with-smart-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=448976","title":{"rendered":"A Tale of Two Types of States: Those with Dumb Energy Laws, and Those with Smart Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By William Murray<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was the best of energy policies; it was the worst of energy policies\u201d \u2013 Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. <\/em>(Apocryphal)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher electricity prices and a lack of cheap energy are in the news. Even before the start of the Iran war, consumers over the winter of 2025-2026 experienced some of the highest energy prices on record, especially electricity consumers in the Northeast and New England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent report<\/a> by the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC, America\u2019s largest voluntary membership organization for state legislators, shows the problem lies in local politics, not supply and demand. When it comes to electricity prices, there are two types of American states: those that manipulate electricity markets to the detriment of their citizens, and those that do not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the most recent year with reliable data, the average retail price of electricity nationwide was 13.69 cents per kilowatt-hour. Thirty-seven states average below that level, while the remaining 13 states are ahead in a race that no one should want to win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2021, ALEC has ranked the states in affordability from 1st<\/sup> to 50th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cheapest states for electricity \u2013 North Dakota at 7.93 cents (kWh), Louisiana at 8.80 cents (kWh) and Nebraska at 9.07 cents (kWh) \u2013 get the gold, silver and bronze medals for affordability in this year\u2019s rankings. All three are either natural gas-rich or import low-sulfur coal from neighboring states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But low electricity prices aren\u2019t just a case of geological inheritance or lucky geography. Blue states like Washington, which placed 13th<\/sup> in the rankings, and Oregon, which placed 22nd<\/sup>, benefit from far-sighted 20th-century leadership that built out massive hydroelectric capacity along the Columbia and Snake River systems. Illinois ranks 31st, having benefited from the construction of 11 commercial nuclear reactors in the 1960s and 1970s. All three have average prices in the 10-, 11-, or 12-cent-per-kilowatt-hour range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, all states to the north and east of New Jersey are disappointments. New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine have electricity prices well above the national average. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island each have prices over 23 cents a kilowatt-hour. They\u2019re at the back of the pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ALEC study found that the presence of three pernicious types of legislation in all these places: a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), participation in a carbon cap-and-trade scheme, and statutorily mandated net metering requirements. When implemented together, these laws consistently lead to higher electricity costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All three programs became popular in the past three decades under the false assumption that both peak oil and a climate emergency would threaten the planet. Today, there is scientific clarity that the world is not running out of carbon resources, nor will there be runaway global warming. Yet state legislatures are held hostage to past policy mistakes, much like the Jacobins of the French Revolution, who felt that the best way to solve problems caused by idealism was \u201cmore idealism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese policies can require utilities to purchase specified generation sources regardless of cost, acquire emissions allowances for carbon usage, or compensate distributed generation at above-market rates,\u201d the ALEC report said. \u201cBy contrast, states that emphasize market competition and regulatory predictability are more likely to maintain affordable energy for households and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no accident that every state in New England is above the national average for electricity prices. Every state in the region uses all three examples of market-distorting legislation pointed out in the ALEC report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massachusetts stands out as a major culprit. Not only do ratepayers pay for the privilege of membership in a regional cap-and-trade program, but the Baked Bean State obligates utilities to participate in, not one, not two, but four separate renewable portfolio standard programs mandating investment in non-carbon energy, regardless of cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four Massachusetts portfolio-standard systems helped create a grid architecture that is heavily dependent on intermittent renewables, hostile to new carbon-based infrastructure, and must navigate multi-layered climate mandates while simultaneously retiring coal and nuclear capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The irony of Massachusetts energy policy is that a system designed to move beyond fossil fuels ended up making the region more vulnerable to natural gas scarcity and price spikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same can\u2019t be said for Florida, which has an electricity-use profile more similar to Massachusetts\u2019 than to most other states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both states are carbon-poor and import energy from neighboring regions. Both states use natural gas for 77% of their electricity usage, and both states have grids vulnerable to weather-related outages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, Florida\u2019s electricity price of 12.53 cents per kWh is roughly half of Massachusetts\u2019 rate. What\u2019s the difference? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the ALEC report pointed out, Florida is not part of a cap-and-trade carbon system, nor does it have an RPS on the books. This absence allows for better investment signals needed for new base-load investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are smart choices by Florida politicians. In the end, state legislatures have sovereignty, and it\u2019s natural for legislators to want to solve problems. The trick is to do no harm, and some states have shown a willingness to engage in the future through better legislation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, Louisiana became the first state to adopt legislation that<\/a> provides clear statutory guidance on affordable, reliable, and clean energy. The legislation classified energy generated by nuclear reactors and natural gas as \u201cgreen energy\u201d to help residents avoid massive spikes in utility costs when states try to force a swift transition to renewable energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not surprisingly, Louisiana shot up the ALEC Energy Affordability ranking after it passed the ARC legislation, moving up 16 spots to 3rd place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This legislative clarity is also taking place at the federal level. Ohio Congressman Troy Balderson\u2019s \u201cAffordable, Reliable, Clean Energy Security Act<\/a>\u201d is one such example. The bill seeks to establish clearer definitions of key terms such as \u201caffordable,\u201d \u201creliable,\u201d and \u201cclean,\u201d ensuring that investment risks are limited to cost-effective infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electricity is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Smart legislation should replace dumb legislation based on a horribly flawed vision of the 21st<\/sup> century. It\u2019s time for state legislators to step up and do what Congress has failed to do: pass affordable, reliable, and clean energy legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

William Murray is a former speechwriter for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the past editor of RealClearEnergy from 2015 to 2017, and currently the chief speechwriter for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt was the best of energy policies; it was the worst of energy policies\u201d \u2013 Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. (Apocryphal)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":448978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691843535,691818152,691843536,691819691,691819142,691818228,691822583,691819094,691827420],"class_list":["post-448976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-alec-study","tag-climate-emergency","tag-climate-mandates","tag-electricity-prices","tag-energy-policy","tag-fossil-fuels","tag-peak-oil","tag-renewable-green-energy","tag-renewable-portfolio-standard-rps","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0-Copilot-A-Tale-of-Two-Types-of-States-Those-with-Dumb-Energy-Laws-and-Those-with-Smart-Laws.png?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1SNy","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":282264,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=282264","url_meta":{"origin":448976,"position":0},"title":"The Jupiter Effect: The Hubris of Green Central Planners","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Watts Up With That? In the annals of history, there have been countless tales of rulers and leaders who, in their hubris, believed they could command the very forces of nature. The ancient Roman god Jupiter, King of Gods, was believed to be above the fray of mere mortals, wielding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-138.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-138.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-138.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-138.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":353001,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=353001","url_meta":{"origin":448976,"position":1},"title":"California Dreamin\u2019: Newsom\u2019s Energy Fiasco","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/02\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent Wall Street Journal article titled\u00a0\u201cClimate Action\u2019 Has California\u2019s Energy Economy on Its Knees\u201d\u00a0lays bare the grim reality of Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s energy and climate policies, which are undermining California\u2019s economy while delivering negligible environmental benefits. For those enamored with high costs, unreliable power, and empty promises, Newsom\u2019s policies\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"California Governor Gavin Newsom\"","block_context":{"text":"California Governor Gavin Newsom","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california-governor-gavin-newsom"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0a_orig_shorttake_climate_dokoupil_151208.webp?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0a_orig_shorttake_climate_dokoupil_151208.webp?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0a_orig_shorttake_climate_dokoupil_151208.webp?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0a_orig_shorttake_climate_dokoupil_151208.webp?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0a_orig_shorttake_climate_dokoupil_151208.webp?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":364463,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=364463","url_meta":{"origin":448976,"position":2},"title":"Bang! Food industry says there\u2019s a national energy emergency and calls for Labor to drop the ideology, and fast-track coal","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/04\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"After years of silence, the first large industry body has broken the Climate Stupid Spell and said the obvious. There is a \u201cnational energy emergency\u201d pushing up the price of food, and the cause of high energy prices is Labor\u2019s 82% renewables target.","rel":"","context":"In \"Australia\"","block_context":{"text":"Australia","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australia"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0boris-dunand-Wa9ibpKst3I-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0boris-dunand-Wa9ibpKst3I-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0boris-dunand-Wa9ibpKst3I-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0boris-dunand-Wa9ibpKst3I-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0boris-dunand-Wa9ibpKst3I-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C802&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":430120,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=430120","url_meta":{"origin":448976,"position":3},"title":"Reduce Energy Bills? Don\u2019t Make Me Laugh, Ed Davey\u2013You\u2019re The Reason Why They Are So\u00a0High!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/08\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Ed Davey has promised that the Lib Dems will cut energy bills by \u00a3870 a year, bringing the \u201cbenefits of cheap renewable power\u201d. He naturally blamed the Tories and labour for high electricity prices.","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Reduce-Energy-Bills.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Reduce-Energy-Bills.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Reduce-Energy-Bills.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Reduce-Energy-Bills.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":441633,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=441633","url_meta":{"origin":448976,"position":4},"title":"European energy policy: full speed towards the wall","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"04\/27\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The signals in Europe are crystal clear. Energy prices are structurally higher than in the United States; the electricity grid is grinding to a halt; industry is leaving Europe; and dependence on imports is growing. These are not isolated incidents. This is how the system works. And yet, one message\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)\"","block_context":{"text":"carbon dioxide (CO\u2082)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=carbon-dioxide-co%e2%82%82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Afbeelding-1-1200x800-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Afbeelding-1-1200x800-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Afbeelding-1-1200x800-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Afbeelding-1-1200x800-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0Afbeelding-1-1200x800-1.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":424009,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=424009","url_meta":{"origin":448976,"position":5},"title":"Poll finds New England women feel misled about climate","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/31\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"With Winter Storm Fern wreaking havoc across the country, New England women are worried about energy affordability. Yet many do not connect rising energy costs to the state policy decisions that invited them.","rel":"","context":"In \"aggressive climate policies\"","block_context":{"text":"aggressive climate policies","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=aggressive-climate-policies"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Woman-beach-energy-icons-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Woman-beach-energy-icons-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Woman-beach-energy-icons-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Woman-beach-energy-icons-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0Woman-beach-energy-icons-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C633&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=448976"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":448983,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/448976\/revisions\/448983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/448978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=448976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=448976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=448976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}