Public Benefits Charges to Fund Resource Acquisition Programs: An Orwellian Tale

It’s time for less Orwellian double-speak and more straight talk. We need to be sure that claims of avoided energy and capacity savings are true savings—not merely paper “negawatts” or pure wind. We shouldn’t seek the accomplishment of good social objectives through costly programs, bureaucratic administration, a central planning approach that ignores market incentives, high rebates, and cross-subsidies.