Today, an amendment to HB3666 was introduced in the General Assembly, which fails to act on the urgency of the climate crisis and gives a free pass to the Prairie State coal plant, the largest polluter in Illinois. Despite widespread approval for an energy bill that sets firm deadlines to equitably decarbonize our electric grid and grow Illinois’ clean energy economy, legislators continue to cater to fossil fuel interests. The amendment to HB3666 currently allows Prairie State to continue burning coal without any pollution reductions before 2045, leaves frontline communities vulnerable to short-term pollution increases, and allows fossil fuel companies to appeal to the Illinois Commerce Commission for pollution bailouts. Sierra Club joined other environmental advocates in opposing any bill that jeopardizes people and a livable climate.
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After pressure from the public and an order from state regulators, Duke Energy has proposed long-term plans that retire polluting coal earlier and add more renewable energy, but at the same time would add even more fracked gas plants than previously planned.
Last night, Detroit activists and energy experts came together for a digital town hall and community Q & A to discuss Detroit’s energy burden, the percentage of household income spent on energy bills, which has grave disparities across racial lines. The event was hosted by: EcoWorks Detroit, Elevate Energy, Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Sierra Club, Soulardarity and We Want Green Too, and featured a panel of experts that talked about the problem and engaged the community in a discussion about solutions.
The State Corporation Commission of Virginia released its final order in the Appalachian Power Company (APCo) rate case. The Commission denied Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) costs for both the John E. Amos and Mountaineer coal plants, both are West Virginia power plants that provide power to Virginia.
St. Louis, MO -- Ameren Missouri’s appeal of a lower court ruling that required the utility to add pollution controls to its Rush Island and Labadie coal plants was partially successful. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit confirmed that Ameren violated the Clean Air Act, but overturned a lower court order that would have required Ameren to fully remedy the effects of its unlawful pollution.
On August 11, the Sierra Club filed a petition for reconsideration of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to omit Ottawa County from the agency’s list of areas across the country that are out of attainment with health-based federal ozone (smog pollution) standards. Sierra Club won a court order in 2020 requiring EPA to revisit the agency’s 2018 decision to designate Ottawa County as an attainment area. EPA announced its decision to maintain that designation in June. A nonattainment designation triggers stricter rules for permitting new sources of pollution in the area, and requires that the state come up with a plan to bring the area back into attainment. The Clean Air Act makes clear that any county with pollution that has monitored violations of an air standard, or is contributing to monitored violations of an air standard, should be designated nonattainment. Local concern about health risks is especially high because of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased outdoor time due to social distancing.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Department of the Interior announced it will restart an analysis of the climate, health and economic impacts from mining and burning coal from public lands -- a review that began during the Obama administration.
In response, representatives of Sierra Club released the following statements:
Today, activists from Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) rallied in Cowles Commons Park before marching to occupy the lobby at MidAmerican Energy Headquarters in Downtown Des Moines. MidAmerican is the number one carbon polluter in Iowa. It owns and operates 5 coal plants across the state that have no public plans for retirement.
As the third-ranked state in the U.S. in terms of carbon pollution from electricity generation, Indiana is critical to building climate solutions.
Consumers Energy filed its electric and gas energy efficiency (referred to in Michigan as “energy waste reduction”) plans to reduce energy waste in the service territory with the Michigan Public Service Commission on August 2.
Maple Grove, MN -- Great Rivers Energy (GRE) was successful in its sale of the Coal Creek power plant to Rainbow Energy in a process that lacked transparency and engagement. Instead of receiving clarity from Great River Energy, member-owners have been forced to hunt for details in public reporting about the potential sale. Individual customers didn’t even know this deal was happening.
El Sierra Club Aplaude la Reconsideración del Debilitamiento del Estándar de Ceniza Tóxica de Carbón
El Administrador de la Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental, Michael Regan, anunció que reconsiderará formalmente uno de los peores debilitamientos de los estándares de toxicidad del agua de la era de Trump.