Letter to the Editor

Low-cost electricity crucial to local economy

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

To the editor:

Arkansas' economic growth depends on access to affordable and reliable energy. Low-cost electricity is essential for our manufacturers, farmers and small businesses to remain competitive globally, and helps Arkansas families keep down their monthly energy costs.

Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency is setting greenhouse gas standards that impose unrealistic regulations on our electricity producers and drive up electricity rates for businesses and consumers.

Mississippi County is fortunate to be the largest steel-producing county in the nation. Higher electricity rates for our steel industry would hinder their ability to operate efficiently and continue providing good-paying jobs that are critical to our rural communities.

We have had some tough economic times in Arkansas. Jobs and businesses have been lost and some will never come back. But now that industries and manufacturing are rebounding, we cannot afford to have energy prices spike. Higher-cost energy is bad for business, bad for Arkansas and bad for America.

Monte Hodges
District 55 state representative