As a part of our 2020 Coal Costs Us Week of Action, volunteers and members of our Sierra Club chapter along with community partners and Wisconsinites put together an entire week of action to call for the phasing out of coal and fossil fuels and to petition utilities to retire six coal plants across Wisconsin— for our health, the health of our lands and waters, and for the health and hope of future generations. Below you will find a recap of some of the activities we took part in.
To see a video recap of our action week, click the link here!
During our week of action, several local journalists, reporters, and Wisconsinites called for Alliant Energy to close their Columbia Energy Center coal power plant this year and go carbon free by 2030 and advocated for the immediate closure of the We Energies plants featured in ‘We Neighbors’.
Hundreds of members submitted written comments, contacted their local utilities, shared their stories on social media, supported our mission through yard signs and artistic messages, and tuned into social media to support, understand, and advance our goal of retiring the six coal plants in the state.
Monday: Virtual Screening of Documentary ‘We Neighbors’
We hosted a public and virtual screening of the documentary ‘We Neighbors’ which focused on the experiences of residents living near We Energies’ coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Though thirty homes surrounding the plants have been purchased and leveled, the neighbors featured are the neighbors who still live downwind from a 15-acre mountain of coal and in the shadow of the twin smokestacks. Following the documentary, a panel consisting of healthcare professionals, neighbors to the coal plant, and clean energy advocates discussed the harmful effects of coal and our health, and potentially new avenues of energy.
Tuesday: Social Media Storytelling
Advocates took to social media in an effort to share their stories and amplify others voices. Podcasts from local activists, energy experts, and Wisconsinites were featured to give insight into the fight for clean energy.
Wednesday: Speaking up by testifying and and sending comments to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), respectively
Wednesday was a packed day - residents spoke up in two different public forums in support of clean energy. The PSC held a hearing on their Strategic Energy Assessment, which is a snapshot of energy supply and demand in the state. There, we advocated for additions that acknowledge climate change, incorporate long-range planning, and hold utilities accountable. Meanwhile, the DNR was also accepting comments on the air permit for a proposed fracked gas plant called the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). If built, this plant would contribute to climate change and extend our reliance on fossil fuels. Hundreds of people wrote in opposing the air permit and asking that it be rejected.
Thursday: Phone Blitz to Utilities
On Thursday, supporters messaged their utilities company via social media calling for the closure of non-renewable energy plants in favor of cleaner, more environmentally conscious ones, with a specific emphasis on six coal plants featured in our week of action.
Friday: Yard Signs and Artistic Messages
Individuals displayed yard signs and posters that advocated for the closure of coal plants and the use of clean energy as opposed to fossil fuels while other Wisconsinites chalked messages and created art to get the word out.
See our clean energy portfolio plan for Alliant Energy to learn more about our goals, and just how attainable they are, here and be sure to check out our article that explains how closing and replacing the South Oak Creek and Columbia Coal Plants With Clean Energy will save customers millions of dollars.
Thank you to all that participated in the events of the week and helped make it a huge success!
- Written by William Keenan, Organizing Project Aide for the Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter