11.   As the demand for energy has grown, hundreds of power blackouts and shortfalls have plagued Asia, costing businesses billions of dollars in lost production.

12.   At the same time, the government gives this same industry a freebie costing taxpayers billions.

13.   A factory can cost billions of dollars to maintain, even when running below full capacity.

14.   All of the routes would cost billions of dollars to develop.

15.   Alternatives could take years to develop and cost billions.

16.   Building its own local phone and wireless networks would cost billions of dollars.

17.   But he said that just making pay for midcareer officers competitive with equivalent private-sector jobs would cost billions of dollars.

18.   But Medicare and Medicaid also cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

19.   But many health care and insurance industry leaders object to the rules, predicting they will cost billions of dollars to implement.

20.   But the work will cost billions, and so far, politicians and taxpayers remain unwilling to pay for it.