Major EPA decision: no coal plants to be built in foreseeable future!

[kpete]

Major EPA decision: no coal plants to be built in foreseeable future!

In a decision just made public (see the full text here - large PDF http://www.eurotrib.com/files/3/Bonanza_Decision.pdf), the EPA has essentially killed off the construction of new coal-fired power plants in the foreseeable future.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/13/165245/96/511/660557

Sierra Club Press Release:

In a move that signals the start of the our clean energy future, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) ruled today EPA had no valid reason for refusing to limit from new coal-fired power plants the carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. The decision means that all new and proposed coal plants nationwide must go back and address their carbon dioxide emissions.

“Today’s decision opens the way for meaningful action to fight global warming and is a major step in bringing about a clean energy economy,” said Joanne Spalding, Sierra Club Senior Attorney who argued the case. “This is one more sign that we must begin repowering, refueling and rebuilding America.”

“The EAB rejected every Bush Administration excuse for failing to regulate the largest source of greenhouse gases in the United States. This decision gives the Obama Administration a clean slate to begin building our clean energy economy for the 21st century,” continued Spalding

The decision follows a 2007 Supreme Court ruling recognizing carbon dioxide, the principle source of global warming, is a pollutant under the federal Clean Air Act.

“Coal plants emit 30% of our nation’s global warming pollution. Building new coal plants without controlling their carbon emissions could wipe out all of the other efforts being undertaken by cities, states and communities across the country,” said Bruce Nilles, Director of the Sierra Club’s National Coal Campaign. “Everyone has a role to play and it’s time that the coal industry did its part and started living up to its clean coal rhetoric.”

The Sierra Club went before the Environmental Appeals Board in May of 2008 to request that the air permit for Deseret Power Electric Cooperative’s proposed waste coal-fired power plant be overturned because it failed to require any controls on carbon dioxide pollution. Deseret Power’s 110 MW Bonanza plant would have emitted 3.37 million tons of carbon dioxide each year.

“Instead of pouring good money after bad trying to fix old coal technology, investors should be looking to wind, solar and energy efficiency technologies that are going to power the economy, create jobs, and help the climate recover,” said Nilles.

To get background information and see how the case unfolded visit www.sierraclub.org/coal/plantlist.asp

A copy of the decision can be found here: http://yosemite.epa.gov/...


http://yosemite.epa.gov/oa/EAB_Web_Docket.nsf/PSD%20Permit%20Appeals%20(CAA)/C8C5985967D8096E85257500006811A7/$File/Remand...39.pdf
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/13/165245/96/511/660557

[jpak]

1. K&R

:thumbsup:

[ThomWV]

2. There is something just a little bit amiss here - its a small thing but you should be aware

When they talk about "Clean Coal" and the 'coal industry' they two seem to be linked, but in fact there is very little linkage at all. If you take 'the coal industry' to mean the mining industry that supplies the coal then you need to understand that they have almost no involvement in the development or use of "Clean Coal" technologies. Clean Coal is the name of a Department of Energy program in which billions of dollars have been spent over the last two decades in an attempt to reduce power plant emissions. This program is run in conjunction with the Electric Power industry and supposedly that industry shares in the cost of the research and development that the program pursues - but of course the cost-sharing is bogus and always has been.

Anyway you should know, the coal mining industry has dam near nothing at all to do with Clean Coal. They just dig the stuff up, wash it off, and then sell it.

[doc03]

3. Obama and Biden promised they would back clean

coal technology. Now if they back off on that like we hear they are going to with the AWB I would say in the coal mining areas we have been betrayed and maybe WV was right in not voting for Obama after all. I am starting to get get very disappointed in the stuff I read here on DU, I just hope Obama is able to keep the loony left in check. Ok let's say we don't burn coal in this county, the electric rates will go through the roof since over 1/2 the electric comes from coal. The Chinese will be more than happy to burn our coal and they couldn't care less about any CO2. The Chinese CO2 will cause global warming just the same as it would if we produced it here so what have we accomplished. They promised to support clean coal technology and we expect them to honor that promise.

[rosesaylavee]

4. Chill out for a minute ... maybe two.

This is a press release about what the EPA is going to do. Obama is 67 days out from the inauguration. I am guessing he's not even going to get the customary 100 days to get stuff done, huh?

The emissions have to be figured out - doesn't mean we won't have coal plants.