In a rare display of bipartisanship and common sense, a Senate committee has endorsed a bill allowing a new rate structure that would encourage natural gas companies to promote conservation. The House of Delegates had previously approved the measure 98-0. Greg Edwards has the story for the Times-Dispatch.
Jim Kibler, vice president of governmental relations for AGL Resources, laid out the logic for “decoupling” in a December column, “Cleaner, Cheaper, Better.” One key — not the only one, but a very important one — to conserving energy and combating climate change is to unleash the power of the marketplace. This bill represents a huge step forward.