The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released its report today. They analyze electricity prices across all United States with the addition of the District of Colombia bring the final count to 51 counted and compared. The released the first installment of the ALEC Energy Affordability Report, Stated as an educational resource to provide a snapshot of electricity prices and energy policies by state.
The report explores the differences between state electricity prices, highlighting that they are often linked to economic competitiveness and the variety of policy approaches by the states. Electricity prices vary greatly across each state by demand sector and generation source.
In addition to analyzing state electricity prices, the report compares states in three primary and common energy policies: the presence or absence of a Renewable Portfolio Standard, whether the state is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) or another cap-and-trade program, and whether it has state-mandated rules for utilities regarding net metering.
The report ranks all states according to their average electricity prices, beginning with states with the lowest electricity prices at 1 and the highest price in last. The top 10 and bottom 10 states reported are:
Top 10 (Lowest Prices) |
Bottom 10 (Highest Prices) |
1. Louisiana | 42. Maine |
2. Oklahoma | 43. New York |
3. Idaho | 44. Vermont |
4. Washington | 45. California |
5. Wyoming | 46. New Hampshire |
6. Arkansas | 47. Massachusetts |
7. Utah | 48. Rhode Island |
8. West Virginia | 49. Connecticut |
9. Texas | 50. Alaska |
10. Kentucky | 51. Hawaii |
“When the government inserts itself into markets, taxpayers often foot the bill,” said ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Manager Carly Good. “Overreaching public policies can lead to higher electricity prices across the country. This report sets the foundation to identify the states that have kept energy prices low for their residents.”
The Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force operates under the principles of free-market environmentalism to promote the mutually beneficial link between a robust economy and a healthy environment.
More information and the full report can be found Here