GAS VS. NEW ENERGY IN CA

Adding New Power Plants Is Not the Panacea for Economic Woes
Rory Cox, (Pacific Environment)

"…[CBS 5 KPIX’s account of] PG&E’s plans to build two new high capacity natural gas power plants in Eastern Contra Costa County…is [according to Pacific Environment] overly simplistic and implies that a power plant is the panacea to economic woes faced by residents in the far eastern corner of Contra Costa.

"…[Pacific Environment says] KPIX inaccurately led viewers to assume…[1] That a power plant creates long term economic development and jobs when in actuality the construction of a power plant requires a few hundred temporary employees for a few years…[but] only a few dozen highly specialized employees are needed for its on-going operation [and]…[2] this is the only option for Antioch’s development…[whereas it would be better for Antioch to develop] new industries that actually will employ people for the long term…"

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"…[Pacific Environment says KPIX did not report that the natural gas] power plants will add tons of pollutants into Contra Costa County, which is already home to more than half of the Bay Area’s fossil fuel power plants, numerous refineries and chemical plants…[and therefore has a] rate of childhood asthma…nearly twice the national average…

"California already has plenty of natural gas and other sources of energy to back up renewable power…[according to Pacific Environment]…so many sources that it can comfortably decommission a number of power plants and still be secure in energy reliability. California does not lack possible sources of electricity. Even the brownouts of 2000 – 2001 were caused by energy manipulation, not by any lack of resources."

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"And finally, PG&E is required by state law to procure 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, beginning in 2010…As of 2008, they were at about 13 percent renewable…[down] from where they were in 2003. As of next year, they will be breaking the law. Only by stopping the rush to build more fossil fuel plants will California be able to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while creating plenty of green collar jobs in communities like Antioch.

"Bay area environmental groups recently submitted a formal letter of protest to the California Public Utilities Commission regarding PG&E’s proposal…"