The country's slow economy has just about everyone pinching pennies. And power companies expect people will conserve even more if a Climate Control Bill gets passed through Congress.

The Lieberman-Warner Bill is focused on limiting carbon or green house gas emissions. But its passage could triple your electric bill. 

The bill was introduced about a year ago and has since been getting mixed reviews.
It would require lowering Carbon emissions in the air significantly by the year 2020.
But several power companies say technology needed to capture the pollutant isn't available. If they can't capture green house gases they can purchase certificates.
And they say that's where the bill becomes harmful to the economy. 

Scott Parsley with East River Electric in Madison says, “This may become a Wall Street traded item and that really doesn't have a lot to do with providing reliable low cost electricity to consumers out here.” 

Parsley says those certificates to continue operations as is will be given to the highest bidder. In other words the high price they pay will be passed down to you. 

“Those things would be reflected in utility bills because that's...we either have to pay for the technology that doesn't exist today or we have to pay for the certificates that we would buy in order to operate our facilities,” he says. 

He says if the Lieberman-Warner Bill passes it will slow the sluggish economy even more.
Parsley says, “If this were to pass it would affect Main Street in the sense that Main Street depends on the economy to survive and it would be significant pressures on people’s disposable income.” 

Madison resident Dan Bohl says, “It appears to me that this new bill is so tight that they're almost making it virtually impossible for the public to have affordable power.” 

Bohl says his electric bill has gone up twice in the past year. He doesn't believe consumers can afford another increase. 

“I just don't think the public can stand it. Not in these economic times,” Bohl says. 

Parsley says of course more needs to be done to clean the air, but more advanced technology and more time is needed. 

Parsley says, “From an industry standpoint, this is really going to change the industry a significant amount. And so when we do that kind of change, we wanna make sure we get that right.” 

Parsley says just because power companies don't support the bill, doesn't mean they aren't looking for ways to clean the air. From wind, to steam heat, to methane...he says they're finding alternatives to coal which emits carbon. 

The bill still needs to make its way through Congress before the president can consider it.