Americans do not believe taxes should fund new power plants

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Nearly two-thirds of voters oppose policies that help struggling power plants by increasing utility bills or taxes, and 93 percent of voters do not believe taxpayers and consumers should pay for new or existing power plants, according to a poll by the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA).

EPSA is a national trade association representing America’s competitive power suppliers.

“Americans understand that struggling power plants should retire and that political influence only results in higher bills and less efficiency,” Todd Snitchler, EPSA president and CEO, said. “What this poll makes clear is that voters prioritize reliability and affordability, and they are fed up with bailouts and the political gamesmanship we’ve seen in multiple states, including Ohio and Illinois. What voters want is simple: policies that prioritize reducing emissions efficiently and at the lowest cost.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on Americans’ budgets. According to the poll, 43 percent of voters said they worry about paying their family’s monthly bills, 25 percent said they could not afford an electricity bill increase of any amount, and 50 percent said they could not afford an increase of $15 or less.

Other findings of the poll include 90 percent of voters believing it is important the U.S. government encourages reliable and affordable energy sources.