RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia regulators say the cost of electricity would increase substantially under proposed federal environmental rules.

The revelations came in the State Corporation Commission staff’s comments filed this week with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week.

According to those comments, costs are anticipated to rise because the rules would require much of today’s electricity production be replaced with costly generation and expensive programs to decrease energy use.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1waq2zS ) that the SCC says complying with the rules would likely cost Dominion Virginia Power customers alone an extra $5.5 billion to $6 billion.

However, environmental groups questioned the SCC staff’s analysis, saying Virginia is already 80 percent of the way to meeting the state’s carbon pollution target under the Clean Power Plan.

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