INDIANAPOLIS — The Sierra Club this week launched a statewide radio ad campaign urging residents to demand that the state Senate reject HB 1414, a piece of dangerous and unnecessary legislation that would slow the retirement of Indiana’s aging, polluting coal fleets, lead to higher bills for families and businesses, and worsen the climate crisis.
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a public comment session on the state of Utah’s do-nothing regional haze plan. In April 2019, Utah submitted a regional haze proposal to the EPA for the third time in eight years to continue operation of the Hunter and Huntington coal plants without pollution controls.
This week the 37-year-old Sims coal fired power plant in Grand Haven will be shut down permanently in accordance with plans made one year ago by the Grand Haven Board of Light & Power after sustained advocacy by Sierra Club, its local volunteers along with many community members.
Today, NorthWestern Energy asked the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) for pre-approval to buy an additional 25% stake in Colstrip Unit 4 from Puget Sound Energy (PSE), potentially locking its customers into even higher electricity bills to pay for the aging, costly plant for the next 20 years.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana House today passed HB 1414, a bill that would require the state’s utility regulatory commission to approve coal plant closures. The bill would also let electric utilities recover the costs for more coal, thereby incentivizing them to buy more coal and pass that cost onto customers.
TOPEKA, KS -- On Thursday, Evergy--which serves approximately 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri-- announced goals of “reducing carbon emissions'' and becoming “more environmentally sustainable.” While the addition of 660 megawatts of wind power is encouraging, the utility’s plan also includes continued operation of the utility’s large fleet of coal plants until between 2040-2050 if not longer.
Today, almost 200 residents provided feedback on Colorado Spring Utilities’ (CSU) long-term energy plan, including calls for early coal plant retirements and prioritization of the environment and community stewardship in utility energy decisions.
Today, 36 House Democrats sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) expressing serious concerns over the commission’s recent decision to institute a Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR), which forces new renewable energy generation, like wind and solar, out of the PJM capacity market.
At the second Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) public comment session on Tucson Electric Power’s (TEP) rate increase request, about 50 people submitted comments against the hike. The rate increase would tap into customers’ pockets to pay for the utility’s over reliance on uneconomical fossil fuels. Opponents of the rate increase include the City of Tucson, Sierra Club, Vote Solar, Western Resource Advocates, and Southwest Energy Efficiency Project.
The Sierra Club released a report today, which found that clean energy companies have successfully developed numerous projects in West Virginia and that small businesses, school districts, and residents could save millions with additional clean energy projects if the Mountain State’s policies improved.
Sierra Club applauds and fully supports the special resolution Indianapolis City-County Council members passed unanimously tonight, calling on local electric provider Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) to update its 20-year energy plan filed with state regulators in December to include the full retirement of the Petersburg Super Polluter coal plant by 2028.
Today Dairyland Power Cooperative announced plans to retire the Genoa coal-fired power plant in Genoa, Wisconsin in 2021. This proposed coal plant retirement marks the 304th nationally.