Republicans devise another way to make electricity more expensive with new fees
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- Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill proposes new annual inspection fees for wind power projects.
- Inspection fees total $7,300 for an onshore control‑center visit, $15,400 for a visual turbine inspection, and $72,800 for a full physical turbine inspection, payable each year.
- House Appropriations Committee released the bill, chaired by Rep. Tom Cole (R‑OK).
- Rep. Tom Cole received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from the oil industry during his most recent campaign cycle.
- Doug Burgum has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from the oil and gas industry over his political career.
Why it matters: Wind developers will face up to $72,800 per turbine in annual fees, raising project costs and slowing clean‑energy deployment, while oil interests stand to gain from reduced competition.
