Pro and con of coal-fired Cassville plant
From two guest editorials in the Wisconsin State Journal:
Pro power plant: Step toward greener future
By Louis Okey, Cassville village president
Building the proverbial bridge to a greener future is a challenge we all embrace. It will be costly and require innovation, but it will be a small price to pay for protecting the environment.
Alliant Energy ‘s proposed 300-megawatt flexible fuels plant in Cassville is a prime example of how we can make the transition from traditional sources of electrical power to the power of the future.
The prospect of a new “green ” economy in Wisconsin is exciting.
The plant, as proposed, will burn up to 20 percent renewable fuels like switch grass, waste wood and corn stalks along with coal.
Though 20 percent may sound like a modest start toward reducing greenhouse gasses, understand that it will require tens of thousands of new acres under till, create hundreds of new jobs and generate millions of dollars in economic development. . . .
Con power plant: It’s no answer to state’s electricity needs
By Charlie Higley, executive director, Citizens Utility BoardAlliant Energy ‘s proposal to build a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant near Cassville would be a bad deal for consumers and the environment.
The Citizens Utility Board is opposing the issuance of a construction permit for the plant by the Public Service Commission, which will make a decision by December whether to approve the plant.
Electricity rates for Wisconsin residential customers have risen more than 60 percent between 1997 and 2008. During the same time, inflation was 30 percent.
Given that incomes for Wisconsin families have barely kept pace with inflation, electricity now consumes a much larger portion of a household ‘s monthly budget, as do other fossil fuels such as natural gas and gasoline.
Rising electricity rates have been caused by excessive utility profits, construction costs for new power plants, and rising prices for fossil fuels. Alliant ‘s power plant proposal would cause rates to increase even more.
First, construction costs for new plants have risen dramatically, due to higher prices for steel, concrete, copper, and other materials.
Alliant recently increased the price tag for the proposed plant to $1.2 billion from $780 million, an increase of more than 50 percent. These higher costs will be added to electric bills if the plant is approved.
Second, coal prices for Wisconsin utilities have increased nearly 50 percent since 1999. . . .
