Renner Barsella, renner.barsella@sierraclub.org, 217-390-9394
WISCONSIN -- Sierra Club members and partners today will kick off a statewide week of action through an online screening of the documentary “We Neighbors,” this evening which focuses on the experiences of residents living near We Energies’ coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The week of action intends to engage people across the state through a series of virtual activities as unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have forced climate activists to rethink how the environmental movement operates.
“Many of the places where pollution impacts are the worst have also been hit hardest by COVID-19. At a time when families across Wisconsin are under even more financial burden than normal, the extra expense created by utilities clinging to fossil fuels is just another burden households face. Needing to adapt how we engage Wisconsinites won’t stop us from pushing utilities to do what’s right. ,” said Elizabeth Ward, Director of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Sierra Club.
The Monday night's online screening focuses on the experiences of the neighbors who live near the South Oak Creek and Elm Road power plants operated by We Energies, a WEC Energy Group subsidiary. Though thirty homes surrounding the plants have been purchased and leveled, dozens of neighbors still live downwind from the facility’s 15-acre mountain of coal, in the shadow of the twin smokestacks. Recent economic analysis of WEC’s coal investments have shown that clean energy is a more cost effective path forward for the utility, and already, the South Oak Creek plant costs customers $75 million more each year than just buying electricity on the open market. Members of the Clean Power Coalition of Southeast Wisconsin have repeatedly raised concerns about the health and climate impacts of coal. Now they continue to do so from home.
“Continued investment in coal is costing Wisconsinites money at a time when more and more families are worried about how to make ends meet. Here in Southeast Wisconsin, the cost of coal to our health is also on full display. We’re calling for action because We Energies’ customers, and neighbors, can’t afford the price of dirty coal. The math checks out. No more excuses,” said S. Janet Weyker, a Clean Power Coalition member who lives near We Energies coal plants in Oak Creek.
A previous week of action targeted the Columbia coal-fired power plant in Portage, another plant that Sierra Club analysis has shown is costing utility customers money. This week will continue to push the owners of the Columbia plant (MGE, Alliant, and WEC subsidiary WPS) while tying in the statewide call for a transition to clean energy across utilities. Monday also marked the deadline for comments to be filed in Alliant’s rate case, the legal process used to determine a utility’s long-term energy planning. Sierra Club filed strong arguments advocating for swift transition from coal to clean energy.
“Coal costs us. It pollutes our air and water, it threatens the health of our climate, and now we know it’s also unnecessarily costing customers millions of dollars. We in Wisconsin have had enough. It’s time to retire the Columbia coal plant and go all-in on investing in clean energy. Doing this will be a financial boon for families during these difficult economic times, and an ongoing gift for our state's climate, natural resources, and public health,” said Victoria Gillet, MD, a Sierra Club volunteer leader and Trowbridge Endowed Primary Care Track Chief Resident for the University of Wisconsin Department of Internal Medicine.
As part of the week, many participants will engage in key state regulatory processes for the first time. One big highlight of the week will be the opportunity for Wisconsinites to submit their written comments to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources with concerns about the proposed Nemadji Trail fracked gas plant. Dairyland Power and Minnesota Power, are seeking permission to build a controversial new fracked gas power plant in Superior, Wisconsin. An air permit approval from the DNR is required to proceed and the deadline for submitting public comments is this Wednesday.
“As someone who works on water quality in Superior, Wisconsin, I know that pollution doesn't recognize state boundaries. It's been critical in my work to build cross-state collaborations to really make a difference for Lake Superior. What happens in one community affects our neighbors. We need energy solutions for Lake Superior communities that address water pollution and climate change, not perpetuate them,” said Andrea Crouse a resident near the proposed plant.
Each day of the week of action will orient around a specific theme that encourages people to engage in different ways and will educate participants about energy and climate pollution in Wisconsin along with providing opportunities for them to better advocate for action on climate.
Anyone interested in participating in the week’s events can RSVP and find more information here.
Monday - learn: An online screening followed by a virtual panel discussion will explore the first hand experience of residents living near a coal plant in Wisconsin. Registration is required to receive the link for the Zoom event. Please register with this link, and you'll receive an email with Zoom info prior to the event. Clips of the documentary and a recording of the panel will be available for broadcast upon request.
Tuesday - share: Participants can watch personal stories from activists on Facebook Live, and will be encouraged to share their own climate stories online.
Wednesday - speak up for clean energy: There will be opportunities for participants to use their voices in Wisconsin regulatory processes and they will be encouraged to submit written comments to Wisconsin regulatory bodies to stop the advancement of fossil fuels.
Thursday - call: People will be asked to directly engage their utilities (WEC, Allaint, MGE, Dairyland) and ask them to retire coal and transition to clean energy.
Friday - create: Participants will get creative and spread messages about the need for clean energy with art, chalked messages, posters, yard signs, and more!
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.