CASH FOR COAL CLUNKERS?

'The Clunkers of the Power-Plant World'; Old Coal-Fired Facilities Could Escape New Rules
Kari Lydersen, August 17, 2009 (Washington Post)

"…[A]mong the nation's fleet of aging coal-fired power plants…[are a] handful…in the heart of urban areas…Many public health and environmental advocates say too little attention has been paid to…[such] "legacy" plants grandfathered in under the 1977 Clean Air Act and largely exempted from its requirement that facilities use the best pollution-control technology…

"Advocates hope the climate-control legislation pending in Congress would force these [“clunker’] plants to close. But they also warn that, depending how various aspects of the bill play out, it could instead motivate companies to increase their reliance on archaic plants."

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"If a climate-change bill drives up the cost of opening new plants, but provides free emissions allowances or potential carbon offsets for existing facilities, companies could have an incentive to squeeze even more power out of their old plants, many of which are running well below capacity.

"Some environmental groups are urging the Senate to include in its version of the legislation provisions to prevent that. But the legislation passed by the House in late June -- known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act -- mandates a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2025 for new plants, but puts no site-specific carbon-reduction requirements on existing facilities…"

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"[Environmentalists disagree on how problematic House bill provisions are]… Public health advocates say these urban power plants can pose a threat to local residents…A 2001 [Harvard] study… suggested that the two Chicago plants could cause 41 premature deaths and 550 emergency room visits per year…

"Environmental groups hope [a] lawsuit will spur the EPA to move faster in addressing…[violations]…Midwest Generation [a major urban polluter]…supported the House-passed legislation. And in anticipation of a climate bill capping greenhouse gas emissions, Midwest Generation is shifting its focus to renewable energy, including construction of a 240-megawatt wind farm in central Illinois...[An environmental group attorney] said Midwest Generation's renewable-energy efforts may reduce total carbon emissions, but will not do anything to help neighbors of the [urban] plants…"