Over 150 Proposed Plants Would Boost Global
Warming Pollution by 10 Percent, Divert funds from sustainable energy
technologies
Energy
companies are planning to build over 150 coal-fired power plants in locations
across the United States,
according to a report released today by Environment Illinois. Far from
enhancing America’s
energy security, the wave of proposed plants – most of them powered by dirty,
last-generation technologies – would dramatically increase global warming
emissions and pose energy security and economic problems.
“We’re lining up for a sprint in the wrong
direction on U.S.
energy policy,” said Rebecca Stanfield, Director of Environment Illinois.
“Expanding our dependence on coal will only worsen coal’s impact on global
warming emissions and intensify the other environmental impacts and economic
risks from coal.”
Here in Illinois, 14 new
coal-fired power plants are planned, threatening to increase state global
warming pollution by 62 percent.
The new
report, based on information from the U.S. Department of Energy and published
reports, documented the potential impacts of completing the 150 plants proposed
across the U.S.
Among the impacts would be the following:
1.
A 10 percent increase in U.S.
global warming emissions. This increase would occur amid urgent scientific warnings about the
dangers posed by global warming and growing consensus that, to avoid the worst
consequences, America
and the world must achieve steep cuts in global warming emissions by the middle
of this century.
2.
A 30 percent increase in U.S. coal demand, which would require the
opening of new mines and expanded infrastructure for delivering that coal to
power plants. The
increase in coal demand would exacerbate the environmental devastation caused
by coal mining, which has already denuded more than 7 percent of Appalachian
forests, buried 1,200 miles of streams in fill, and resulted in the release of
hundreds of millions of pounds of toxic chemicals. It would also increase the
likelihood of future cost increases for coal.
“Expanding
America’s
coal demand will come at a high price,” said Joe Lovett of the Appalachian
Center. “New mines will level more mountains, permanently
bury hundreds of miles of pristine mountain streams under billions of
tons of mining waste and continue to devastate local communities located
near the mines”
3.
$137 billion invested in dirty, outdated coal-burning technology. Despite recent hype about the
promise of “clean coal” – including the prospect of capturing and storing
carbon dioxide emissions from power plants underground – only 16 percent of the
proposed plants nationwide would use coal gasification technology, and none
would incorporate carbon capture and storage. The rest would use older
technologies that are already responsible for massive global warming emissions
and the release of large quantities of pollutants responsible for human health
problems.
4.
Lost opportunity for investment in cleaner technologies. Investing the $137 billion slated
for new coal-fired power plants into cleaner alternatives would yield economic
and energy security benefits for the United States. If invested in
energy efficiency, those funds could reduce U.S. electricity demand by about 19
percent in 2025 vs. business as usual – obviating the need for the all of the
coal plants on the drawing board. If invested in wind energy, the United States could develop 110 gigawatts of the best wind energy
locations in the western U.S.,
which could produce electricity at an overall cost comparable to coal.
“We could avoid the need to build any new coal
plants if we simply invested the same amount of money in energy efficiency,”
said Stanfield,, “and we’d save money at the same time.”
5.
Economic risks for ratepayers, utilities and generators. Customers who depend on utilities that make major coal
generation investments could be face higher cost when these companies are
required to meet new rules to limit global warming emissions from power plants
– rules that are increasingly likely as evidence mounts of the potential
environmental and economic impacts of global warming.
“Companies
that build coal-fired power plants today are gambling with their investors
money,” said Leslie Lowe of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a
coalition of investors promoting social responsibility. “They are betting that
operating coal fired power plants will continue to be cheap, despite the near
certainty that global warming pollution will be regulated within the lifetime
of the plants.”
Despite
these problems, the “coal rush” appears to be accelerating across the United States.
In April, TXU Corporation announced plans for eight new coal-fired units in Texas, adding to three
previously announced projects, for a total of 8,600 MW and $10 billion in
capital investment. In June, NRG Energy announced six new coal-fired projects
from Texas to Connecticut. And in July, PacifiCorp
announced plans for two new coal-fired facilities to serve markets in Oregon.
Environment
Illinois
calls for several steps to stem the “coal rush.” First, our leaders should join
Idaho
officials in establishing a moratorium on new coal plants, in order to evaluate
the environmental and economic impacts.
Second, our leaders should establish a cap on carbon dioxide pollution,
to be lowered over time; third, public money should only be spent on clean
energy technologies; and finally, our leaders should dramatically expand
programs to develop energy efficiency and renewable energy resources.
At the
federal level, on June 20, Rep. Waxman introduced the Safe Climate Act in the
U.S. House of Representatives. It would require the U.S. to reduce its global warming
pollution 15 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. To achieve these
targets, the bill calls for improved energy efficiency and a greater reliance
on clean, renewable energy sources, while providing companies flexibility in
meeting the pollution-reduction goals through a “cap-and-trade” program.
Senator Jeffords of Vermont
is introducing a similar bill in the Senate today.
“America could
substantially reduce its global warming pollution using existing technology to
improve energy efficiency and increase the use of clean, renewable energy
sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass,” said Stanfield. “What’s
more, these steps would be good for America’s economy; creating jobs
and improving productivity. But not if we stake our energy future on coal.”
“Our leaders must take decisive action to stop
the rush to build new coal plants and avoid the worst effects of global
warming,” concluded Stanfield.
The
report is available at www.EnvironmentIllinois.org.
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