Monthly Archives: March 2010
GPACE Goes to Nolan County, TX
“In Search of the Renewable Energy Economy” from GPACE on Vimeo. Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
SD Legislature Overrides Veto of Tax Refunds for Wind Energy
The South Dakota House voted 49-19 and the Senate voted 33-0 today to override the governor’s veto of the measure, which gives special tax refunds to construction projects involving the generation of electricity from wind. Continue reading
What Are We Fighting For? (Part 3)
All right, but don’t we need a new coal plant to “keep the lights on” in Western Kansas? No, we don’t. Continue reading
Natural Gas: Fuel of the Future
In the United States, new production from once hard-to-tap shale rock is booming in places like Texas, Louisiana and the Northeast. There are also plans to construct a mammoth gas pipeline through Canada to bring Alaskan North Slope gas to market. Continue reading
What Are We Fighting For? (Part 2)
Okay then, Parkinson guaranteed Sunflower a permit, so it’s a done deal, right? No sense in continuing to fight it. No, again. Continue reading
Electric co-op members ask for review of USDA financial support for coal
Electric cooperative members in Virginia and Kansas are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inspector general to review financing decisions by the Rural Utilities Service on coal-burning power plants that they say put billions of taxpayer dollars at risk and will lead to higher electricity bills. Continue reading
Colo. gas-coal fight could preview national battle
DENVER — A plan to clean up Colorado’s air is pitting two powerful industries — natural gas and coal — against each other in what could be a warm-up for a national fight over how to confront climate change. Continue reading
What is “Clean Coal” Anyway?
I am starting to think that the person who came up with the term “clean coal” is the same brilliant marketer who came up with the frequent flyer point system for the airlines. Continue reading
What Are We Fighting For? (Part 1)
As the Kansas Department of Health and Environment considers the new air quality permit request for Sunflower Electric’s proposed 895mw coal-fired power plant, and before KDHE announces the schedule for public hearings, it seems like a good time to ask: Why are we still paying attention to the whole coal plant proposal? Continue reading
“Clean Coal” Looking More Like a 21st Century Dinosaur
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seems to be making up for lost time when it comes toenforcing the Clean Water Act. That includes closing the door on mountaintop coal mining, also known rather delicately as mountaintop removal. In reality there is nothing delicate about it. The practice involves blowing hundreds of mountains to smithereens in Appalachia, one of the richest ecosystems in North America, not to mention burying hundreds of miles of pristine streams and creating vast lagoons of toxic coal ash sludge. Sort of gives the lie to that “clean coal” gimmick, right? Continue reading
