We Energies CEO Gale Klappa said states and companies that have already taken steps to address carbon dioxide emissions should get credit for that work when the Obama administration writes new rules designed to address climate change.
Some have called the proposals a war on coal, and Klappa on “UpFront with Mike Gousha” said he believes there is an element to that in the rules.
He said We Energies has reduced CO2 emissions 23 percent over the past 10 years as it has invested $8 billion in new, efficient infrastructure. Klappa said customers have picked up the costs of those improvements and how the rules are developed could drive costs even higher, which would then be passed on to consumers.
“If we don’t get credit as a state and a company for this early action, then electric rates would go up far higher and it would really be difficult, we believe, for the state, for economy, for jobs,” Klappa said.
See more from the show, produced in conjunction with WisPolitics.com:
http://www.wisn.com/politics/upfront
