I want to thank God for Councilmember Roger Berliner for this bill, and Councilmemders George Leventhal, Marc Elrich for there sopport, and the local activists for there labor of love in working for the passage of our nation’s first carbon tax.

I pray that your efforts will lead other counties, states, and finally our good old USA to this end.

The reason you’re mistaken is that businesses also have a desire to be competitive. If a business raises its prices on consumers, consumers will choose to buy power from another company whose prices are lower. The reason Pepco(the company in Maryland that distributes energy by procuring it from companies such as Mirant) says there would be no discernible effect on ratepayers from the carbon tax is that if Mirant raised its electric rates to make up the $15 million difference, Pepco would choose to buy energy from a less costly source. Probably also a cleaner source that isn’t penalized as much as Mirant by the carbon tax. Maryland deregulated its electric industry in 1999 (utilities are no longer public), and while there have been many detrimental impacts from that decision, one benefit we’re seeing now is that more utilities are entering the market with more competitive prices, and in some cases cleaner energy. Consumers now have more choices.

So in short, Mirant won’t raise its rates because it wants to keep selling electricity to residents in Montgomery County. If it raises them, Mirant will be dropped.

If it costs more to run a business, the business raises prices. It is simple economics, and it cannot work any other way. There simply is no other alternative.

Chalk one up for the climate movement! Keep us updated on this.