NOTE: “Answers” emails have ended for the school year and will resume September 2nd.
Daily posting will end for the summer on June 13th and will resume August 25th.

1. a) By how much will electricity prices increase even before the Obama administration’s newest carbon emission regulations go into effect, according to the U.S. Energy Department?
b) What is the cause of this initial increase?

2. a) What percent of our nation’s electricity comes from coal?
b) What are the benefits of using coal to generate electricity?

3. a) How much of our nation’s electricity comes from natural gas?
b) What are the problems associated with using natural gas to generate electricity?

4. How did Indiana’s decision to reduce the amount of coal it used for electricity affect state residents? (see para. 9-11)

5. How are current emissions rules (aimed at reducing perceived global warming) expected to affect power companies? (see para. 14-15)

6. To meet high demand this past winter, American Electric Power, which serves 5 million customers in 11 states, needed to run 89 percent of the coal plants it will soon have to shut down, says AEP CEO Nick Akins. This raises concerns that the power system soon won’t have enough wiggle room to handle extreme weather, making blackouts more likely. “It’s a warning of what may be to come,” Moeller says.
a) How does EPA administratior Gina McCarthy respond to this concern?
b) How does the Department of Energy’s estimate differ from Ms. McCarthy’s estimation? (see para. 3, 15)

7. Ask a parent what is more important to your family: doing whatever it takes to prevent catastrophic man-caused global warming, or to keep electricity bills from skyrocketing? and to explain his/her answer.