A carbon power plant operates in Price Canyon, Dec. 21, 2011. What would a carbon tax do for the economy?
Ravell Call, Deseret News
Sen. Mitt Romney, as reported in the Deseret News article published Dec. 8 “Is a carbon tax possible in a divided Congress? Sen. Mitt Romney is hopeful,” has advocated for a carbon tax for many years. The only outcome of a carbon tax will be increased costs since energy conservation is already occurring: industry and individuals are reducing their uses of carbon fuels.
By introducing a carbon tax, fuel prices will increase from their already high levels. Please remember that individuals must still drive to work every day. Electricity costs will only increase. California implemented a carbon tax with impacts on electricity costs: California electricity costs are among the highest in the U.S. due to both policy mistakes AND a carbon tax. Diesel costs are already affecting train and truck transportation. A carbon tax will further burden both industries.
For individuals, a carbon tax will affect their ability to heat their homes, commute back and forth to work (most locations lack a public transportation infrastructure like Washington, D.C.) and buy essentials like groceries since transportation costs will increase with a carbon tax, therefore affecting grocery costs.
A carbon tax will only add to the already high costs due to inflation and the poor policy choices that reduced U.S. oil and gas production implemented after Jan. 21, 2021.
Thomas Murray
St. George
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