Clean energy impacting electric rates

The high cost of developing alternative power is pushing up U.S. electric rates, even while non-renewable prices drop, a private energy research group said.

There are offsetting costs — renewables is one — that are keeping power prices up, said Larry Makovich at the Cambridge Energy Research Associates, USA Today reported Monday.

While states increase mandates on clean energy sources, in Arizona, Tucson Electric Power raised rates 6 percent in January, pushed by a state mandate to increase its use of solar power, the newspaper said.

Portland General Electric in Oregon is pushing for a rate increase to raise money to develop a substantial wind farm. In California, high electricity rates are partly attributed to Southern California Edison’s $2 billion commitment to put in lines to connect customers to far-off solar power sources.

Makovich advocates for moving gradually to alternate sources. Compared with standard energy sources, a nationwide standard to obtain 20 percent of the country’s electricity from clean energy would raise electric rates 15 percent, Makovich said.