CANBERRA, Australia, Dec. 26 Australian Minister Ian Macfarlane warned consumers electric bills may be increased.I don't think the consumers fully understand the price tag associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions, he told Courier-Mail in an interview. the average customer in Queensland pays between $1300 and $1400 per year. However, the increase Macfarlane expects would increase yearly bills by $500, reported the Daily Telegraph.Some say the increase will not be as high, like Ziggy Switkowski, an advocate of nuclear power, However, Macfarlane maintains that to cut emissions from burning coal, Queensland's main source of energy, the production cost would increase from about $35 to nearly $60.Australian Prime Minister John Howard did not sign Kyoto, however, a goal of reducing emissions was set by the country.Most lawmakers agree with the high target but even heavily subsidized it is still four to five times more expensive than coal or wind energy.While the energy source is free, converting that to electricity is expensive, Macfarlane said, while speaking about solar energy. Solar is too expensive, nuclear has been viewed as too dangerous, but spokesman Kim Carr said that the longer the government waits for a solution, the more money it will cost.Copyright 2006 by UPI
