Emily Rosenwasser, Emily.Rosenwasser@sierraclub.org, 720-308-6055
Elizabeth Scrafford, Elizabeth.Scrafford@sierraclub.org, 208-818-4626
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A new report from energy experts released today found that City Water Light and Power (CWLP) of Springfield, Ill. lost millions of dollars for its customers since 2008 in its continued operation of its Dallman coal plant.
CWLP has an option to produce its own power, or buy cheaper power from the electric grid in the Midwest. The report, drafted by Synapse Energy Economics, found that CWLP’s choice to continue operating its aging coal plant lost customers $261 million total between 2008 and 2016. The data in the report shows that in 2016 the typical residential CWLP customer paid $215 more than they should have if CWLP purchased power from the grid. Commercial customers paid an additional $2,300 due to this decision.
“The Midwestern electricity market has changed in the past eight years, and CWLP has failed to change with it,” said Thomas Vitolo, Synapse Energy Economics senior associate and principal author. “The sooner CWLP begins retiring units at Dallman Station, the sooner the utility can pass along tens of millions in annual savings to customers through lower rates.”
At a public forum last week, CWLP leadership stated that the two oldest units at the Dallman coal plant need a retirement plan. The city was warned two years ago that the aging coal units at the Dallman coal plant were draining money from the city of Springfield, but CWLP has yet to take action to address its risky operations at the Dallman coal plant.
“We appreciate that CWLP acknowledges that Dallman’s aging coal units need a retirement plan. These boilers are well-beyond their useful lifespan and are losing millions in customer dollars,” said Andy Knott, senior campaign representative with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “Residents continue to be concerned about the Dallman coal plant’s legacy of groundwater contamination from coal ash dumping. We look forward to CWLP developing a plan for retiring these old coal boilers at the Dallman plant and urge the utility to involve stakeholders and the public in those plans.
Thomas Vitolo of Synapse will be presenting the findings of the report this Friday, September 22, from 8:00 am to 9:00 am at the monthly meeting of the Springfield Citizens Club. The meeting will be at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 South 6th Street in Springfield. The meeting is free and open to the public, with a coffee reception that begins at 7:30 am.
To view the Synapse report on CWLP’s operations, please view here.
###
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.