June 2, 2014
By Maddy Salzman
Sierra Club members and supporters in Independence, Missouri are asking the City Council to retire the two outdated coal plants operated by the municipal utility. Additionally, the group “Indy Energy” has focused on educating the public about Independence’s energy future.
Independence Power and Light, the local municipal utility, owns two coal-fired power plants: Missouri City and Blue Valley. Missouri City is the state’s oldest operating coal plant, and Blue Valley is the fourth oldest, so the plants are well beyond their design lifespan.
The pollution produced by these plants harms residents living with asthma, and costs residents millions of dollars in healthcare every year.
Indy Energy and many on-the-ground Sierra Club volunteers successfully made energy an election issue, prompting many council members to release statements on their stances. The Sierra Club endorsed council candidate and winner Scott Roberson based on his personal commitment to renewable energy. Roberson installed solar panels on his dental practice, supporting local business Free Energy Corp.
Sierra Club members are expanding their grassroots base in Independence to garner support for local investment in renewable energy. Sierra Club members Terry Flowers and Patty Brown spoke to the City Council in April to address concerns about the impact of coal on public health. Professor and Club member Mehdi Borhan has brought the topic to his students through guest speakers and panel discussions on Blue Valley College’s campus. Numerous opinion pieces have also been published in the local newspaper, the Examiner, further encouraging discussion about moving beyond coal.
Local advocates are hopeful a commitment from the City Council will be made to retire the coal plants by January 2016. At the same time, the Sierra Club is calling for a robust transition plan for workers impacted by the retirements. Curious how you can support the teams in Independence? Contact andy.knott@sierraclub.org or go to www.indyenergy.org to learn more.