Monthly Archives: April 2010
Natural Gas Could Ease the Path to a Low-Carbon Future
Growing estimates of natural gas resources suggest that supplies of this least carbon-intensive fossil fuel may be as abundant as coal, while containing only half as much carbon, according to a new paper released today by the Worldwatch Institute. Continue reading
Fire Erupts at Sunflower Plant
No employees were injured when fire erupted Wednesday morning at the Sunflower Electric Power Corp.’s coal-fueled power plant at Holcomb. Continue reading
“Pay No Attention to the Taxpayer Behind That Curtain!”
Sunflower Electric might light the lamps on Main Street, but by betting huge amounts of taxpayer money on risky business deals – even as it decries government regulation – it’s acting more like Wall Street. Continue reading
Kansas Pipeline Revolt Widens
U.S. buyers of oil sands crude have joined the revolt against pipeline makers for building too much capacity too fast. Continue reading
Do the Rules of the Nation’s Electric Grid Discriminate Against Wind Power?
The future mix of electric power generation sources in the United States is critically linked to the fate of climate legislation in Congress. But changes in the way the grid works — if they occur — hinge more on what happens at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where a set of central policy issues are on the table.
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Solar Power Heats Up as Costs Drop, Electric Rates Rise
The prospects for solar energy in the Midwest are brightening. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Continue reading
Colorado Shows How It’s Done
As the U.S. Senate now prepares to consider a new climate bill, Congress can consider how readiily climate action can take hold, through the example of Colorado. This politically diverse state has aggressively embraced climate action as a way to grow its economy. Continue reading
Sustainability Blowing in the Wind
The wind here is so ubiquitous that we prairie folk might fail to recognize it as our most valuable natural resource. Harnessing the wind could reshape the economic fabric of our state, and that of the entire nation along with it. Continue reading
Colorado Enacts Law Replacing Coal Power with Cleaner Energy
DENVER, Colorado, April 20, 2010 (ENS) – Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Monday signed into law the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, legislation that requires the utility Xcel to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80 percent from several Front Range coal plants by the end of 2017, most likely sooner. Continue reading
Coal Emissions Contribute to 4 of the 5 Leading Causes of Death in the U.S.
Physicians for Social Responsibility has released a groundbreaking medical report, “Coal’s Assault on Human Health,” which takes a new look at the devastating impacts of coal on the human body. Coal combustion releases mercury, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous to human health. Continue reading
