60 Plus & Governor Bentley Discuss Negative Impact of EPA Regulations on Alabama's Seniors

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Robert Bentley joined the 60 Plus Association at the Alabama State Capitol today to unveil a new report, "Energy Bills Challenge Alabama's Senior Citizens," which finds that President Obama's newly proposed EPA regulations would disproportionately affect seniors. They could result in raising electricity prices for Alabama residents by more than 20%, which equates to more than $25 per month for the average customer.

"It was an honor to be joined by Governor Robert Bentley to discuss the impact of proposed EPA regulations on Alabama's seniors. The EPA is pursuing sweeping new standards that unfortunately do little to improve the environment and will disproportionately affect Alabama's seniors," said Amy Frederick, President of the 60 Plus Association.

"We're concerned about the cost of energy for individuals in the state of Alabama, particularly seniors, and we're also concerned about job reduction," said Gov. Bentley. "What they couldn't do with legislation, they're trying to do with regulation. We're going to continue to push back on the federal government."

"Many of Alabama's seniors rely solely on social security, and electricity prices are already a great burden. The President's newly proposed EPA regulations will only make their dire situation even worse. Energy, like food and housing, is an indispensable necessity of life and President Obama should be working to help make the situation better instead of adding to seniors' financial burden," added Frederick.

Key Findings From Report:

• Proposed EPA regulations could raise the price of electricity in Alabama by more than 20%, equating to more than $25 per month for the average customer.
• Alabama is home to more than 300,000 senior households that are making $50,000 or less annually. Low and fixed income seniors are among the most vulnerable to electric rate and other energy price increases.
• The EPA's Clean Power Plan could limit fuel supply diversity in Alabama. Restricting fuel diversity could lead to increased costs and a reduction of disposable income by $2,000 annually.

Read the study here: 60 Plus Alabama EPA Study

CONTACT:
Gerry Scimeca
[email protected] 

SOURCE 60 Plus Association