Energy affordability threatened yet again by Wittman

Fossil fuel fandom and magical thinking are not strong economic policy

Now for the latest installment of Wittman's End-of-Week claims. He boasts that backing H.R. 3616 and H.R. 3632 will "strengthen America's electric grid and lower energy costs” - let's zoom in, shall we?

These bills juice up FERC's power to veto power plant retirements and closures, and strong-arm generation during shortages, which might patch short-term reliability black holes. But they don't address the need for new plants, batteries, or transmission lines; instead, they prop up creaky, smog-belching relics at premium prices, ignoring exploding demand or how to weave in renewables without a hitch.

And claiming cost cuts? That's wishful thinking - like betting your power bill shrinks because you crossed your fingers and whispered "abracadabra" to the meter! H.R. 3632 sticks ratepayers and taxpayers with the tab for overtime on money-losing coal dinosaurs, plus fresh transmission wires - and the CBO says it has the potential to jack up our bills.