Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has proposed a small surcharge for electricity bills to help fund a project that will produce renewable energy for decades to come. O'Malley wants the funds to help start a wind farm off the Maryland coast.
The surcharge, depending upon which estimate you choose, would amount to as little as $1.44 a month or as much as $3.61 per month. That is, a little more than a latte.
Turning America towards renewable energy is not an option, it is a necessity. As gas prices go up due to events in the Mideast entirely beyond our control, proposals such as this should be waqrmly embraced. Yes, it will cost money.
But, it would be pennywise and pound foolish not to pursue such projects. In the mid-nineteenth century, America built railroads to connect the country and help with westward expanision. In the 1950s, we started the Interstate Highway system for similar ends. We have recouped those expenses a hundredfold. O'Malley is to be applauded for his bold initiative and other states should consider his example. Wind power is the future, a cleaner, less volatile future, for us all.
