N&O poo-poos idea of new coal fired power plants...will you?

The N&O's editorial board has seen the light, calling on the NC Utilties Commission (NCUC to deny Duke's request to build two new coal fired power plants at their Cliffside operation). They also call on the Legislature to pick up the pace and work to find better solutions to the energy supply vs. global climate change conundrum.

The good news: Senator Charlie Albertson has already filed a Renewable Portfolio Standard bill. The bad news: legislators filed a RPS bill last session which didn't go anywhere, and the utilities are one of the strongtest forces in the Legislature.

Before the fight goes to the Legislature, stopping the Cliffside project must happen. Duke is calling on the NCUC to make a decision on Cliffside by February 28.

Below the fold for more on how to help...

Cliffside, as noted by the N&O, is a bad idea, plain and simple. Why?

*The estimated cost of the Cliffside power plant has soared from $2 billion to $3 billion in recent months. And Duke has conceded in the past weeks that financing costs will add several hundred million dollars to the project costs (some say as high as another billion dollars).

*The new plant would create the same amount of carbon emissions as a million new cars. Carbon emissions, as we all know, lead to global warming, which leads to unknown amounts of destruction in the next century (current projections put sea level rise at 3 meters by 2100).

*Duke officials acknowledged that the company spends virtually nothing on programs that cut energy use. Nothing!!! They have proposed to spend a paltry 1% of their revenue on conservation programs in the coming years.

*The NCUC and General Assembly commissioned a study to examine renewable supply sources for North Carolina's energy supply. The study came back indicating 10% of our energy demand could be met by a mixture of renewable resources and energy efficiency. The study also found this would create a savings of $500 billion for the utilities. With a combination of legislation and utilities participation we can displace the need for Cliffside altogether.

*Duke Energy is asking for a ruling by Feb. 28 in hopes to win an exemption from a tax on carbon emissions that is almost certain to be imposed on new coal-fired plants, Rogers (their CEO) said. Such a tax would be an attempt to pay for the environmental costs of carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. This seems as dirty as the coal they plan to burn.

*Cliffside Fails the Least Cost Requirement: After learning of the first billion-dollar overrun in October, within 24 hours Duke determined Cliffside is still the best option. The law requires new energy projects meet the “least cost” requirement under state law; put simply, Cliffside doesn't. Rogers argued it meets his “best cost” judgment (I'd like to see those numbers). But with coal and nuclear costs increasing at an uncertain rate, surely the Commission should order Duke to model Cliffside compared to efficiency and renewable energy – the costs of which are decreasing dramatically.

*Knowing his case was in trouble, Rogers’ began his testimony to the Commission with an ad lib thanking the NCUC’s Public Staff for “supporting us” on the expansion. Later, he admitted under cross examination that the Public Staff – an agency that is supposed to be independent and represent the public’s interests – had endorsed Duke’s plan before the hearings, i.e. before listening to the debate, expert testimony, cross examination and questions by Commissioners.

If Duke succeeds, it will jeopardize the state’s economy, prevent the infusion of thousands of clean-energy jobs, and continue a sorry record of corporate influence over North Carolina decision-makers. No rational, democratic society should allow such a course, which would also keep us speeding into the abyss of climate change.

In the 1970s, the public warned the Utilities Commission it should focus on energy efficiency, but it didn’t listen. So the power companies wasted billions of ratepayer dollars on plants that were never finished due to cost overruns and lack of demand. The plants it did build caused an incalculable cost in health damage, greenhouse gases, and tens of thousands of years of radioactive waste. The Commission must not repeat that mistake, one that could lock this state in last century’s energy technology as much of world moves ahead.

With billions of public dollars at stake and the first large plant in 30 years, the commissioners should not let themselves be bullied into moving ahead quickly without all information needed for this vitally important decision. As Commissioner Jim Ervin asked, “Why shouldn’t the Commission insist all the work be done?”

I hope you will join me in contacting the Commissioners and letting them know you'd rather not continue to be behind the curve on energy production or energy usage, or have the Outer Banks under water in 100 years. Below is their contact info.

One more thing, pass this along. Too much is at stake not to.

NCUC Contact Info:

Commissioner Owens: owens@ncuc.net
Commissioner Ervin: Ervin@ncuc.net
Commissioner Joyner: ljoyner@ncuc.net
Commissioner Kerr: kerr@ncuc.net
Commissioner Lee: lee@ncuc.net
Commissioner Culpepper: culpepper@ncuc.net
Commissioner Finley: finley@ncuc.net
Chief Clerk’s office: vance@ncuc.net

North Carolina Utilities Commission
430 North Salisbury Street
Dobbs Building
Raleigh, NC 27603-5918
Mailing Address:
4325 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4325

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Telephone Number 919-733-7328
Fax Number 919-733-7300