January 2008 - EC - lists.bikelover.org

Fwd: Edison Electric Institute: Report documents coal decline
by Paul Wilson 31 Jan '08

31 Jan '08

Allegheny Power is one of the companies listed in the data here in this report. paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Alice McKeown <Alice.McKeown(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 30, 2008 11:18 PM Subject: Edison Electric Institute: Report documents coal decline To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS(a)lists.sierraclub.org The Edison Electric Institute, an association of US shareholder-owned electric companies, recently released a new report documenting power plant construction for the third quarter of 2007. Among the notable highlights: - To date, 82% of the canceled projects in 2007 were coal plants - In the third quarter, these companies announced plans to build the same amount of capacity as these abandoned coal plans all without relying on coal plants. These facts along with useful charts and information on transmission line and nuclear plant proposals can be found in the full report at: http://www.eei.org/industry_issues/finance_and_accounting/finance/research_… Many thanks, Alice ________________________________ Alice McKeown Sierra Club National Coal Campaign tel: 202.675.6271 fax: 202.547.6009 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubsribe from the COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS list, send any message to: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/ -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Coal power plants point person needed
by Barbara Fallon 30 Jan '08

30 Jan '08

Committee, Paul Wilson is on the National Coal Campaign Committee. He needs a point person from our energy committee who will keep track of current and new/proposed coal fired power plants. You do not have to be an expert on the coal issues, you just have to be a contact person for this national committee. If anyone is interested plese let me know. If you have any questions please contact Paul Wilson (pjgrunt(a)lycos.com.) Paul needs to know asap..by Friday!!! Barbara ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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Fwd: State of the Union "preview" story
by Paul Wilson 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Feed ideas to Rob. Also get in the habit of thinking what stories to pitch to Rob on Energy issues on a continuing basis. We are paying over $1700 a year for this service so it is imperative that folks pitch stories to Rob as Sierra Club members/issues. thanks, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Public NewsService Web Site <wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org> Date: Jan 23, 2008 3:41 PM Subject: State of the Union "preview" story To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com Hi all--Rob Ferrett here with the West Virginia News Service. Monday night is the State of the Union address. I'm looking for people to comment for a story I'll do for Monday morning -- along the lines of, "what does the state of the union look like from a West Virginia perspective?" If you'd like to share a couple thoughts on what you think the top challenges are facing the country, what the top federal priority should be, or something along those lines, please send me an email...I'll work in as many people as I can fit, on a range of subjects. Thanks! Rob Ferrett West Virginia News Service 800-317-6705 --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org and put the word "remove" in the subject line. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Re: [EC] MTR on Diane Rehm Show on NPR
by Paul Wilson 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

This show is starting now on WAMU.org if you don't get this show on your local NPR stations. Also, the show has an archives section so you can listen to old shows at your leisure on the internet. best, Paul -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Re: [EC] [fom] Third World Country
by Regina Hendrix 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Lorelie, this makes me feel a little better. However, I'd sure like to have him take some photos of the sick people in Mingo. Regina Lorelie Scarbro wrote: > In Sept. of 2006 I went on a flyover of MTR sites with Paul on > Southwings. He is very supportive of our work. By the way, the home > he built in PAX is powered by solar. Lorelei Scarbro > > On Jan 23, 2008 12:06 PM, Bob Gates <photonzx(a)ntelos.net > <mailto:photonzx@ntelos.net>> wrote: > > Paul Corbit Brown was a speaker at the OSM Buffer Zone hearings > last fall, > so we do not need to question his sentiments. I am not sure I > remember MTR > photographs in an exhibit he had at WVSU a couple of years ago. > He lived > with and photographed American Indians for some time, and now > travels the > world. If he were to have pictures in southern West Virginia it > would most > likely be of poor people living in trailers. While he is > adamantly opposed > to MTR, he is a people person and Paul's photographs are often > close-up > portraits. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Regina Hendrix" <regina1936(a)verizon.net > <mailto:regina1936@verizon.net>> > To: "All of FOM list" <fom(a)lists.riseup.net > <mailto:fom@lists.riseup.net>>; > <mountainjustice(a)lists.riseup.net > <mailto:mountainjustice@lists.riseup.net>>; <ec(a)osenergy.org > <mailto:ec@osenergy.org>> > Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 9:37 PM > Subject: [fom] Third World Country > > > > Pasted in below is a notice I received from the Cultural Center > about an > > activist photographer who is traveling the world to document > tragedies in > > Third World countries. No where in this notice is MTR mentioned. > > > > What do you want to bet there are no photos of our local Third > World which > > is being blasted away. I'm going over there to take a look. We > need to get > > him to photograph MTR, but then they wouldn't display his work > in the > > Governor's back yard, would they? > > > > Regina > > > > * Contact: * > > > > Jacqueline A. Proctor > > > > Deputy Commissioner/Communications Manager > > > > Phone: 304.558.0220, ext. 120 > > > > E-mail: jacqueline.proctor(a)wvculture.org > <mailto:jacqueline.proctor@wvculture.org> > > > > * For Immediate Release: * Jan. 22, 2008 > > > > * Social activist photographer to be interviewed * > > > > * on "Inside the Artist's Studio" on Feb. 1 at the **Cultural** > **Center* > > > > The West Virginia Division of Culture and History has opened a new > > exhibition, /Photographs by Paul Corbit Brown/, in the wings off > the Great > > Hall of the Cultural Center, Capitol Complex, Charleston. > Visitors are > > invited to come view the show through Feb. 29, and meet the > artist after a > > live interview and question and answer session in the Norman L. > Fagan West > > Virginia State Theater on Friday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. A reception > will be > > held in the Great Hall after the interview. The exhibition, > interview and > > reception are free and open to the public. > > > > Brown was born in the small coal camp of Kilsyth in southern West > > Virginia. He has been taking photographs since he was 12 years > old. A > > social activist, his work has led him to travel throughout the > United > > States, Mexico, Jamaica, Kenya, Russia, Israel, Laos, Thailand, > Rwanda and > > most recently, Indonesia. > > > > Kristi Rudelius-Palmer, co-director of the University of > Minnesota's Human > > Rights Center says of him, "Paul Corbit Brown is an amazing > photographer > > and a passionate individual. We must allow ourselves to stand in > front of > > his photographs and stare into the eyes of those around the > world affected > > by social and human injustices." > > > > In the 35 photographs on display, visitors can see images of street > > children singing for food or money, and people living under > bridges who > > collect plastic bottles to sell or trade for food in Jakarta, > Indonesia. > > In Kingston, Jamaica, we see the lives of some 8,000 people who live > > beside the garbage dump in Riverton City. Kibera, Kenya, the second > > largest slum in the world with a population larger than one million, > > provides stark images of poverty and homelessness. > > > > Brown has taken photographs showing an Israeli soldier sharing > his lunch > > with a Palestinian boy, olive harvests, a picture taken at the > aftermath > > of a suicide bus bombing and the desert in Jordan. His most > recent ongoing > > project is to document the long-range effects of the 1994 > genocide in > > Rwanda, and the resiliency of the people there struggling to > overcome the > > past as they forge a new future. He says, "I began interviewing and > > photographing people from all walks of life in order to come to > understand > > the origins of the genocide, how it affected them, how it > continues to > > affect them, and how they are working to overcome these effects > through > > faith-based reconciliation programs, government regulations and > > reconciliation programs, and the role of non-governmental > organizations in > > the healing/rebuilding process." Many of his images are of the > estimated > > 1.5-million children left homeless and parentless as a result of the > > genocide. AIDS also orphans children at the astounding rate of > four per > > minute. One photo shows Zura, a witchdoctor who saved 150 lives > during the > > genocide and eventually received a presidential medal for her > courage. > > > > When not traveling, Brown can be found in the solar-powered home he > > designed and built in Fayette County. He supports himself > through his work > > with numerous Human Rights organizations as well as freelance > work for > > countless publications and the sale of his prints. Brown has had > > significant exhibitions in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Md.; > Columbus, > > Ohio; Minneapolis, Minn.; and a number of galleries in West > Virginia. More > > of his photographs can be seen on his website at > www.paulcorbitbrown.com <http://www.paulcorbitbrown.com>. > > > > Jacqueline Proctor , deputy commissioner of the Division, will > interview > > Brown, and open up the floor to a question and answer session. > Images of > > Brown's work will be shown during the interview. > > > > For more information about the exhibition or the interview, contact > > Proctor at (304) 558-0220, ext. 120. > > > > The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of > the West > > Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together > the state's > > past, present and future through programs and services in the > areas of > > archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and > museums. Its > > administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the > State > > Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state > archives and > > state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia's official > showcase for > > the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and > historic sites > > across the state. For more information about the Division's > programs, > > visit www.wvculture.org <http://www.wvculture.org>. The Division > of Culture and History is an Equal > > Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. > > > > * - 30 - * > > > > * Media Note: *Paul Corbit Brown is currently shooting > photographs and > > teaching photography to young students in Jakarta, Indonesia, > where it is > > 12 hours ahead of our Eastern Standard Time. He can be reached > at 011 62 > > 8131 814 2621 or by e-mail at pcbphoto(a)yahoo.com > <mailto:pcbphoto@yahoo.com> until Jan. 24. From Jan. > > 26 on, he can be reached at the same e-mail address or at (202) > 841-0222. > > *Photos are available at our website www.wvculture.org > <http://www.wvculture.org>, attached to this > > press release.* > > > > > >

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Fwd: information needed: liquid coal
by Paul Wilson 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Need some response asap, so if you have any info pls fwd to me. thanks, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Date: Jan 15, 2008 12:26 PM Subject: Fwd: information needed: liquid coal Per Ginny's email below. Are there CTL plants on the drawing board in your states? I think there are but I need the name/location if you can find it for me in the next few days. best, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <Virginia.Cramer(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 15, 2008 12:04 PM Subject: information needed: liquid coal To: bruce_nilles(a)prodigy.net, sarah.hodgdon(a)earthlink.net, baumling(a)aol.com, pjgrunt(a)gmail.com, Pat.Gallagher(a)sierraclub.org, Jesse.Simons(a)sierraclub.org, Alice.McKeown(a)sierraclub.org Hi all, I'm working on a story idea about the latest wave of coal plant proposals-- liquid coal plants. There are at least 10 officially on the drawing board now, and many more that we know of that have not yet begun the process. I need to pull together a list of all of the plants to have handy for reporters, along with a few key fights that we will want to flag. So, here is the list of plants that I have so far. These are taken from our coal plant tracker. ND- American Lignite Energy OH- Ohio River MT- Malmstrom air force base MT- Roundup WV- Logan WV- Rentech NY- Scriba PA- Schuykill WY- Medicine Bow MS- Belwood Are there others that we know of that are not in our tracker? ones that have not formally begun the process yet? Verena/Paul- are there any plants that the volunteers are working on that aren't on this list? any places where we have great stories/spokespeople for our fight on the ground? Are there any of these plants in particular that you want me to flag, any fights of national significance? I would love to have this list done and local spokespeople settled by the end of January, earlier if possible. Thanks in advance for your help, ginny ____________ Virginia Cramer Media Coordinator Sierra Club tel: 202.675.6279 fax: 202.547.6009 -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975 -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Third World Country
by Regina Hendrix 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Pasted in below is a notice I received from the Cultural Center about an activist photographer who is traveling the world to document tragedies in Third World countries. No where in this notice is MTR mentioned. What do you want to bet there are no photos of our local Third World which is being blasted away. I'm going over there to take a look. We need to get him to photograph MTR, but then they wouldn't display his work in the Governor's back yard, would they? Regina * Contact: * Jacqueline A. Proctor Deputy Commissioner/Communications Manager Phone: 304.558.0220, ext. 120 E-mail: jacqueline.proctor(a)wvculture.org * For Immediate Release: * Jan. 22, 2008 * Social activist photographer to be interviewed * * on “Inside the Artist’s Studio” on Feb. 1 at the **Cultural** **Center* The West Virginia Division of Culture and History has opened a new exhibition, /Photographs by Paul Corbit Brown/, in the wings off the Great Hall of the Cultural Center, Capitol Complex, Charleston. Visitors are invited to come view the show through Feb. 29, and meet the artist after a live interview and question and answer session in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater on Friday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. A reception will be held in the Great Hall after the interview. The exhibition, interview and reception are free and open to the public. Brown was born in the small coal camp of Kilsyth in southern West Virginia. He has been taking photographs since he was 12 years old. A social activist, his work has led him to travel throughout the United States, Mexico, Jamaica, Kenya, Russia, Israel, Laos, Thailand, Rwanda and most recently, Indonesia. Kristi Rudelius-Palmer, co-director of the University of Minnesota’s Human Rights Center says of him, “Paul Corbit Brown is an amazing photographer and a passionate individual. We must allow ourselves to stand in front of his photographs and stare into the eyes of those around the world affected by social and human injustices.” In the 35 photographs on display, visitors can see images of street children singing for food or money, and people living under bridges who collect plastic bottles to sell or trade for food in Jakarta, Indonesia. In Kingston, Jamaica, we see the lives of some 8,000 people who live beside the garbage dump in Riverton City. Kibera, Kenya, the second largest slum in the world with a population larger than one million, provides stark images of poverty and homelessness. Brown has taken photographs showing an Israeli soldier sharing his lunch with a Palestinian boy, olive harvests, a picture taken at the aftermath of a suicide bus bombing and the desert in Jordan. His most recent ongoing project is to document the long-range effects of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and the resiliency of the people there struggling to overcome the past as they forge a new future. He says, “I began interviewing and photographing people from all walks of life in order to come to understand the origins of the genocide, how it affected them, how it continues to affect them, and how they are working to overcome these effects through faith-based reconciliation programs, government regulations and reconciliation programs, and the role of non-governmental organizations in the healing/rebuilding process.” Many of his images are of the estimated 1.5-million children left homeless and parentless as a result of the genocide. AIDS also orphans children at the astounding rate of four per minute. One photo shows Zura, a witchdoctor who saved 150 lives during the genocide and eventually received a presidential medal for her courage. When not traveling, Brown can be found in the solar-powered home he designed and built in Fayette County. He supports himself through his work with numerous Human Rights organizations as well as freelance work for countless publications and the sale of his prints. Brown has had significant exhibitions in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Md.; Columbus, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minn.; and a number of galleries in West Virginia. More of his photographs can be seen on his website at www.paulcorbitbrown.com. Jacqueline Proctor , deputy commissioner of the Division, will interview Brown, and open up the floor to a question and answer session. Images of Brown’s work will be shown during the interview. For more information about the exhibition or the interview, contact Proctor at (304) 558-0220, ext. 120. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices are located at the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. * - 30 - * * Media Note: *Paul Corbit Brown is currently shooting photographs and teaching photography to young students in Jakarta, Indonesia, where it is 12 hours ahead of our Eastern Standard Time. He can be reached at 011 62 8131 814 2621 or by e-mail at pcbphoto(a)yahoo.com until Jan. 24. From Jan. 26 on, he can be reached at the same e-mail address or at (202) 841-0222. *Photos are available at our website www.wvculture.org, attached to this press release.*

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Fwd: MD cutting energy use
by James Kotcon 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

>>> Paula Carrell <Paula.Carrell(a)sierraclub.org> 1/17/2008 4:32 PM >>> 4. Strong Action Urged To Cut MD Energy Use Washington Post January 14, 2008 By Lisa Rein Maryland should force utilities to take aggressive steps to cut energy consumption, and the state should create a multimillion-dollar fund to give homeowners an array of incentives to use less power, Gov. Martin O'Malley's top energy advisers will recommend today. The blueprint, to be released by the Maryland Energy Administration, will offer 20 proposals to help O'Malley (D) deliver on his ambitious pledge to reduce the state's energy consumption by 15 percent in seven years and stave off rolling blackouts that experts predict could occur in three years. The report recommends that the state encourage the fledgling solar and wind energy industries to invest in the region and help Maryland more than double its use of renewable power. The 85-page "Strategic Electricity Plan," a copy of which was provided to The Washington Post, acknowledges that no silver bullet exists to roll back the record electric rate increases that hit Maryland customers last year after deregulation fully took effect. And there is no way to quickly generate new power to meet growing demand, the report says. Demand jumped almost 16 percent between 1999 and 2005, while the supply grew 1.9 percent. "The plan should be viewed as 'silver buckshot' -- a series of measures to promote affordable, reliable and clean energy for Maryland," the report says. Malcolm Woolf, the state's energy administrator, said that "we have ignored energy issues in the state" since the General Assembly agreed in 1999 to bring competition into the electricity market. He called the strategic plan an "opening salvo in a larger effort to take control of Maryland's energy's future." Electricity prices rose for millions of residential customers last spring when rate caps came off, and the competition between providers that lawmakers hoped for has not materialized. Maryland residents pay among the highest electricity rates on the East Coast. With population growth and ever-larger, gadget-rich houses expected to increase energy demand by 17 percent between 2005 and 2016 and no major new transmission lines on the horizon, the state soon could be dangerously short on power, state regulators have predicted. The recommendations to be released today are expected to become the centerpiece of a wide-reaching package of energy legislation O'Malley will present to the General Assembly this month. The governor might decide to implement some of the proposals this year and leave others for next year, said O'Malley's spokesman, Rick Abbruzzese. To increase the supply of power, energy officials are recommending that the General Assembly approve a bill to force utilities to contract long-term with power generators, a change already under review by the state Public Service Commission, which regulates the power industry. Officials also want to establish a state fund to promote conservation programs and attract renewable energy companies. Money would come from an auction this summer of permits for carbon emissions. The auction will be held by a consortium of New England and mid-Atlantic states set up to reduce carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired plants. Energy officials estimate the auction could generate from $40 million to more than $100 million for Maryland. The fund would help homeowners, particularly low-income customers, pay for furnaces, air conditioners and other appliances that use energy more efficiently but are more expensive than traditional models. It also could offer a system of incentives to encourage consumers to buy energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs and install high-tech devices that shut down washing machines, dishwashers and air conditioners when demand for electricity soars on hot summer days. These "smart meters" also tell homeowners electricity prices a day in advance, giving the customers a chance to pay lower rates if they can move usage to off-peak times. State regulators are already reviewing conservation plans submitted by Pepco and Baltimore Gas and Electric. The utilities would be allowed to pass on the costs to consumers, but "the idea is that, eventually, everyone will pay less because of these investments in conservation," Woolf said. Robert L. Gould, vice president for corporate communication for Constellation Energy Group, the parent company of Baltimore Gas and Electric, said the company "looks forward to a continued thoughtful and constructive dialogue with the O'Malley administration and the legislature." Maryland has mandated that 9.5 percent of the state's energy will come from renewable sources by 2022, an aggressive goal when the legislature agreed to it. But energy advisers who have looked at the experience of other states say Maryland could increase the share to 20 percent.

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Fwd: Re: 2008 Smallish State Program c(3) Grants Available
by James Kotcon 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Any ideas? JBK >>> Cyrus Reed <reed_c(a)grandecom.net> 1/17/2008 3:46 PM >>> --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Paula -- can you give us a deadline on the two grant categories? On Jan 17, 2008, at 1:41 PM, Paula Carrell wrote: > --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- > ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Fredsters: > > Once again this year, the State Program has a modest pot of c(3) > funds available to chapters for Public Education work related to > our priority campaigns At The State Govt Level -- Energy/Global > Warming, Lands/Habitat Protection (particularly if you can make a > connection between a particular lands protection goal and global > warming), Water Quality/Supply Protection. > > There are two basic Grant Types: > > I. Education Project Grants: > There's not enough in the kitty to hire additional staff, but small > grants of, say, $2,000, $5,000 or maybe a bit more are available > for a piece of existing staff time or for materials or for a public > education event . . . designed to help your chapter educate and > energize the public behind progress in one of these three issue > areas in your state. > > The work you propose has to meet some basic organizing tenets: > > + It is designed to reach beyond our members and base supporters > into the community of people who share our values but are not, > without our urging, engaged in civic life. > + It builds face-to-face/one-on-one connections between Club people > and this broader public around the issue at hand. It strives to > build lasting community connections that will sustain our positions > by informing and empowering people to secure meaningful > environmental victories. > > II. Regional Chapter Staff Meetings > Most of you have heard about the regular 2-day/2-night "Southern > Caucus" meeting held annually in early June. At the meeting, the > southeastern states lobby corps members gather to share information > and strategize on their priority issues as they are playing out in > the unique southern political climate. > I continue to be entirely open to others among you organizing > similar regional gatherings to focus on particular issue/s and the > unique qualities of how the issue is playing out and might best be > addressed in your region. If you have an idea -- and have > convinced several of your neighboring state colleagues to join with > you -- pitch me on your meeting proposal. > These must be low-budget affairs -- inexpensive location, meals/ > drinks covered by the participants, travel covered by the grant. > Summer months timing tends to make the most sense, although I'm > open to other ideas. > > > For Both Types of Grants: > If you think you've got a fundable need and idea, here's what you > should tell me about it, as concisely *and specifically* as possible: > > 1. Your ultimate goal -- specific policy you seek to address or > enact or rule or permit decision you seek to influence. > > 2. Your timeline. > > 3. The specific activities/event or product/materials you are > asking us to fund OR, for the meeting option, a proposed agenda focus > > 4. The specific audience you are targeting (define & justify > geographically or demographically or politically or all three) OR, > for the meeting option, a list of states that wish/need to > participate. > > 5. A proposed budget. > If you can outline it in two pages, all the better. > > Remember, these are c(3) funds. BE CREATIVE. > > Questions to me if you want to test your idea before bothering to > write it up. > paula - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - To unsubsribe from the CONS-FRED list, send any message to: CONS- > FRED-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv > Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/ > lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To get off this list, send email to: LISTSERV(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF CONS-FRED

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Fwd: Wash Post: Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign
by Paul Wilson 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bruce Nilles <bruce.nilles(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 18, 2008 12:27 AM Subject: Wash Post: Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS(a)lists.sierraclub.org "We welcome a vigorous debate about our energy future and solving global warming. Unfortunately ABEC is spending millions of dollars on misinformation about our energy choices . . . instead of engaging in a real debate about the true costs of coal and clean energy alternatives," said Bruce Nilles, director of Sierra Club<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Sierra+Club?tid=informline>'s national coal campaign. * http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/17/AR200801170… * *Coal Industry Plugs Into the Campaign* Steven Mufson<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/steven+mufson/> Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, January 18, 2008; Page D01 A group backed by the coal industry and its utility allies is waging a $35 million campaign in primary and caucus states to rally public support for coal-fired electricity and to fuel opposition to legislation that Congress is crafting to slow climate change. The group, called Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, has spent $1.3 million on billboard, newspaper, television and radio ads in Iowa<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Iowa?tid=informline>, Nevada<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Nevada?tid=informline>and South Carolina<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/South+Carolina?tid=informli…>. One its television ads shows a power cord being plugged into a lump of coal, which it calls "an American resource that will help us with vital energy security" and "the fuel that powers our way of life." The ads note that half of U.S. electricity comes from coal-fired plants. The group has also deployed teams on the campaign trail; about 50 people, many of them paid, walked around as human billboards and handed out leaflets outside Tuesday's Democratic debate in Nevada with questions for voters to ask the candidates. "In Iowa, there is a saying that you don't get to be president unless you go through Iowa. We'd like to say that you don't get to be president unless you understand how complicated this issue is," Joe Lucas, the group's executive director, said Wednesday night during a stopover en route from Nevada to South Carolina. The group's message -- that coal-fired power plants can be clean, and that more of them are needed to meet the growing demand for electricity -- comes when opposition to new coal plants is mounting because they generate greenhouse gases. In Kansas<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Kansas?tid=informline>, where a state agency rejected a permit for two proposed coal plants, opinion polls show that roughly two out of three people opposed the plants. That sentiment, plus soaring construction costs and uncertainty about federal climate change legislation, last year prompted U.S. companies to abandon or postpone plans to build dozens of new coal plants. The coal mining industry is fighting back. It increased the budget of the National Mining Association, the industry's main lobbying group, by 20 percent this year, to $19.7 million. Last September, the industry also boosted the budget of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices more than fourfold. The roster of backers includes 28 companies and trade associations such as Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, Duke Energy<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Duke+Energy+Corporation?tid…>, Southern Co. and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/National+Rural+Electric+Coo…>. The controversy over coal has been especially heated in Nevada, where environmental groups and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/r000146/>, who represents the state, have opposed construction of three new coal-fired power plants. "They're all dirty," Reid said last fall. He urged utilities to rely on energy efficiency and solar and wind power. (Last year, according to a report issued yesterday by the American Wind Energy Association<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/American+Wind+Energy+Associ…>, wind made up 30 percent of all new electricity generating capacity.) On Tuesday night, the issue came up during the debate among the three leading Democratic presidential candidates. Former senator John Edwards<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/John+Edwards+%28Politician%…>said, "I believe we need a moratorium on the building of any more coal-fired power plants unless and until we have the ability to capture and sequester the carbon in the ground." Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c001041/>( N.Y.) said, "I have said we should not be siting any more coal-powered plants unless they can have the most modern, clean technology. And I want big demonstration projects to figure out how we would capture and sequester carbon." Sen. Barack Obama<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/>(Ill.) did not commit himself on coal plants but said Americans had to make their buildings, lighting and appliances "more efficient." "Yes, we do need to be more energy efficient," Lucas said. "But even as we become more efficient, we're plugging more things into the wall." The ads being run by Americans for Balanced Energy Choices talk about "clean coal." New power plants are cleaner than they used to be because they must meet more stringent federal regulations limiting such pollutants as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. But climate change is linked to carbon dioxide emissions, which are not yet regulated; those emissions have dropped more modestly as plants have become more efficient. The group's newspaper ads avoid that distinction. They say that today's carbon-fired plants are "70 percent cleaner based on regulated emissions per unit of energy produced." That does not refer to carbon dioxide. New coal-plant technologies that might capture carbon dioxide and store, or sequester, it underground are expensive, experimental and not in commercial use. But Lucas says carbon capture and storage "is no longer a pipe dream. It's nearing a point where it's real." Many environmentalists argue that until that time, the United States should focus on renewable energy such as solar and wind. Coal advocates say those energy sources cannot be relied on 24 hours a day and, so far, the energy they produce cannot be easily stored. ABEC's ads, produced by the same firm that made "what happens here stays here" ads to promote Las Vegas<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Las+Vegas?tid=informline>to tourists, also talk about "affordable" energy. The group says in a TV ad that the price of coal is one-third that of other fuels. But coal prices have risen, albeit not as much as oil. And environmentalists and economists argue that the price of coal does not include substantial environmental costs. "We welcome a vigorous debate about our energy future and solving global warming. Unfortunately ABEC is spending millions of dollars on misinformation about our energy choices . . . instead of engaging in a real debate about the true costs of coal and clean energy alternatives," said Bruce Nilles, director of Sierra Club<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Sierra+Club?tid=informline>'s national coal campaign. Environmentalists are also worried that the ads aired by ABEC so far are just the beginning of what could be a much bigger offensive once Congress gets down to work on a climate change bill sponsored by Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman <http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/l000304/>(I-Conn.) and John W. Warner <http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/w000154/>(R-Va.). An ad targeting that bill is currently being shown on video monitors at the baggage carousels at Dulles International Airport<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Washington+Dulles+Internati…>. In 1993, an ad campaign by the health-care industry featuring a fictional couple named Harry and Louise helped torpedo the Clinton administration's health-care proposal. Now, some supporters of the Lieberman-Warner bill fear that the coal industry may use a similar strategy to kill legislation aimed at slowing climate change by stressing potential consumer costs and not the societal benefits. "Big coal may launch a 'Harry and Louise'-style disinformation campaign to sink global warming solutions in Congress," said Daniel J. Weiss, senior fellow and director of climate strategy for the Center for American Progress<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Center+for+American+Progres…>. One of the coal industry group's radio ads hints at those themes. A woman asks: "How can we become less dependent on foreign resources? What fuels will keep power bills reasonable and be environmentally responsible?" A man responds, "We have many questions for our candidates, and coal has to be part of the discussion." Lucas is working on that. Last year, he wrote letters that appeared in a dozen newspapers. On Tuesday, he appeared on Nevada public radio. On Wednesday, the group's views were quoted approvingly in an editorial in the Las Vegas Review-Journal<http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/Las+Vegas+Review-Journal?ti…>. "We're getting the message out," Lucas said. Bruce Nilles, Director National Coal Campaign Sierra Club 122 West Washington Ave, Suite 830 Madison, WI 53703 p:608.257.4994 f: 608.257.3513 c:608.712.9725 e: bruce.nilles(a)sierraclub.org w: www.sierraclub.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubsribe from the COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS list, send any message to: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Fwd: let's work on our message strategy
by Paul Wilson 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

FYI, club talking points on Coal. regards, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ginny Cramer <Virginia.Cramer(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 17, 2008 5:40 PM Subject: Re: let's work on our message strategy To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-FORUM(a)lists.sierraclub.org These talking points on coal were agreed to several months ago and are the authorized talking points for speaking on the record. These can also be found on our coal page on Clubhouse. - Ginny ____________ Virginia Cramer Associate Press Secretary Sierra Club tel: 202.675.6279 fax: 202.547.6009 *Lay of the Land* Since the first coal-fired power plant in the U.S. started generating electricity more than 100 years ago, we have been wedded to coal power. Today coal-fired power plants provide almost half of our nation's power- and almost 40 percent of the United States' annual carbon dioxide emissions, making them a major contributor to global warming. Scientists tell us that we need to reduce our global warming emissions 80% by 2050- a doable 2% a year- to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. Yet as recently as May, there were plans on the drawing board to construct as many as 150 new coal-fired power plants, all emitting as much global warming pollution as old plants- and all on a frenzied timeline in hope of escaping carbon regulations that will soon cause the cost of coal to jump dramatically. Months later, global warming and America's energy sector are shaping the legislative and political debate, affecting capital markets and influencing business and investor decisions. Many of the proposed plants have been blocked by court action and public and political pressure, and Citigroup downgraded the financial outlook for coal stocks in 2008 based on "grim" future earnings. At the same time the green business movement has taken off, with the marketplace topping more than $228 billion in the United States. Renewable energy stocks are becoming hot commodities. For example shares of the Danish company, Vesta Wind Systems—the world's largest maker of wind turbines—have doubled in the past year and their profits have jumped five-fold in the last quarter. Venture capitalists are calling green energy the biggest financial opportunity since the post Civil War era, when industrial energy first emerged. *General* -Instead of rushing to build new coal-fired power plants*, *we need to slow down. We owe it to our children to consider smarter, cleaner, healthier options for meeting our energy needs rather than locking ourselves into using a polluting, backward technology for the next 50 years that triggers childhood asthma and makes global warming much worse. -Before we commit to building new plants, we should start by solving the problems we already have. And that means cleaning up those old dirty plants that are the worst contributors to global warming, smog, acid rain, and respiratory problems. -Any new coal-fired power plants that are built should be as clean, safe, technologically advanced and efficient as possible. -Coal should be mined responsibly and burned cleanly. Coal projects must not add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. *The True Costs of Coal* -Using coal costs us progress on combating global warming. The coal industry is deceiving the American public, hiding the fact that the overwhelming majority of the new plants they are in such a rush to build will use the same kind of technology that creates the global warming problem we're trying to solve now. The carbon these proposed new power plants will add to the atmosphere will cancel out steps states, businesses and other countries are taking now to curb global warming. -The true costs of coal begin long before it's burned and releases global warming pollution into our air. Digging for coal destroys our mountains and landscapes with destructive mining practices and jeopardizes communities' drinking water, health and safety. -Coal is not cheap and costs are rising fast- costs of new coal plants have skyrocketed 40-100% in the past year. Not only does each coal plant cost upwards of a billion dollars, there are innumerable other costs to society associated with asthma attacks, lung cancer, homes devastated by mining, and wildlife habitat destroyed. *"Clean" Coal Technologies* -There is no such thing as "clean" coal. Instead of tying ourselves to the past and investing in new technologies to minimize the impact of dirty coal, we should invest in technologies that further the energy solutions of the future. -Though gasification projects can release less air pollution than pulverized coal, they are still far from being a "clean" energy source. While it may be the case that retrofitting an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle coal plant for capturing carbon dioxide emissions may be easier in the future, whether or not we can store millions of tons of carbon underground forever is completely untested. Until carbon capture and storage technologies are better developed, the carbon dioxide emissions will be much the same as any other coal plant. -We don't have to choose between the "bad" and the "less-bad" options. We do have better, cheaper, cleaner options. -Coal sequestration is theoretical at best, never having been demonstrated with anything approaching the emissions of a coal-fired power plant. -The development of liquid coal for widespread use will require billions of dollars in investments to artificially create a new industry that will only worsen our global warming problem. -Liquid coal creates almost double the CO2 emissions per gallon as regular gasoline. -Replacing a mere 10% of our fuel with liquid coal will force an over 40% increase in coal mining, increasing the already devastating effects of mining on communities across the country. *Alternatives* - The simplest, most effective way to meet our growing energy needs is to increase our use of efficiency. By increasing efficiency we can dramatically reduce the amount of energy needed-- making new coal plants unnecessary and saving consumers, businesses, and industry money. -The best efficiency programs today can provide energy at less than half the cost of wholesale power. -The amount of energy we waste is equal to the amount of energy that could be generated from our supply of coal. Using energy that we now waste could meet our needs without tapping into our coal reserve. -We can expand our energy choices beyond the limited, unhealthy options of the past. There are alternatives to coal that can meet our energy needs and save us money while boosting the economy, improving public health and combating global warming. (*The Sierra Club has outlined how to achieve this with its new global warming strategy*) -Coal is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. We need to wean ourselves from our reliance on a limited supply of fossil fuels if we truly want a clean, healthy, and secure energy future. -Diverting investments away from new coal and into clean energy is good for the environment and the economy. Renewable energy generates 40% more jobs per dollar invested than coal and the cost of meeting our energy needs through efficiency is as little as half the cost of new coal-fired power plants. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Fwd: NYT: Motion Ties W. Virginia Justice to Coal Executive
by Paul Wilson 15 Jan '08

15 Jan '08

Spread it around if you have not done so as yet. best, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Alice McKeown <Alice.McKeown(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 15, 2008 10:19 AM Subject: NYT: Motion Ties W. Virginia Justice to Coal Executive To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-ALERTS(a)lists.sierraclub.org For additional information visit http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2008011427 Motion Ties W. Virginia Justice to Coal Executive NYTimes By ADAM LIPTAK Published: January 15, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/us/15court.html?hp A justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court and a powerful coal-company executive met in Monte Carlo in the summer of 2006, sharing several meals even as the executive's companies were appealing a $50 million jury verdict against them to the court. A little more than a year later, the justice, Elliott E. Maynard, voted with the majority in a 3-to-2 decision in favor of the coal companies. Justice Maynard, who is now West Virginia's chief justice, and Don L. Blankenship, the chief executive of Massey Energy, were "vacationing together," according to a motion seeking Justice Maynard's disqualification, which was filed on Monday. A spokesman for Massey Energy disputed that characterization. "Both Blankenship and Justice Maynard were separately vacationing in the Monte Carlo area," said the spokesman, Jeff Gillenwater. "They were not vacationing together. They did meet occasionally for meals — lunches and dinners." The motion included photographs showing the men together. The time stamps on the photographs, apparently taken by someone who had joined the men during their time together, indicated that they met on July 3, 4 and 5, 2006. Asked whether it was a coincidence that the two men found themselves in Monte Carlo at the same time, Mr. Gillenwater said, "That is a coincidence, I think, and it's my understanding they were not staying in the same location." Justice Maynard stayed in Nice, France, Mr. Gillenwater said, and Mr. Blankenship in nearby Monte Carlo. The motion asked Chief Justice Maynard to disqualify himself from the case and to withdraw his vote in favor of the coal companies. The state's canons of judicial ethics say that judges must disqualify themselves when their "impartiality might reasonably be questioned." They add that judges should disclose any information they believe the parties or their lawyers "might consider relevant to the question of their disqualification." Chief Justice Maynard did not disclose the meetings in Monte Carlo, and he did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Ten of the photographs attached to the motion were filed under seal. They showed, the motion said, "two females apparently traveling with them as companions." The men are single. The case itself was brought by mining companies that said they had been driven out of business by fraud committed by Massey. "Make no mistake," Justice Larry V. Starcher wrote in his dissent in November. "A West Virginia jury heard from all the witnesses for both sides, and decided that Mr. Don Blankenship directed an illegal scheme to break" the companies. Mr. Blankenship and his companies have attracted attention for labor disputes, workplace injuries and what environmentalists call a highly destructive form of mining called mountaintop removal that involves using explosives to blow off the tops of mountains to reach coal seams. Hugh M. Caperton, the owner and president of Harman Development Corporation, a mining company that Massey was said to have driven out of business, said he was angry when he learned about the photographs, and doubly so when he saw the dates time-stamped on them. "That's when all the miners take their families to Myrtle Beach and Pigeon Forge, if they can, if they can afford to," Mr. Caperton said, referring to vacation spots in South Carolina and Tennessee. "They go camping at the river while the chief justice and Don Blankenship are smiling and frolicking on the French Riviera." Stephen Gillers, who teaches legal ethics at New York University School of Law, said Chief Justice Maynard should not have socialized with Mr. Blankenship and should now disqualify himself from the case. Federal judges in Manhattan, Professor Gillers said, will not even have lunch with old friends while they have cases pending in their court. In 2004, Justice Antonin Scalia of the United States Supreme Court refused to disqualify himself from a case involving Vice President Dick Cheney, although the two had gone on a duck hunting trip together. Justice Scalia reasoned that disqualification was not required because Mr. Cheney had been sued in his official capacity. On the other hand, Justice Scalia wrote, "friendship is a ground for recusal of a justice where the personal fortune or the personal freedom of the friend is at issue." Mr. Blankenship was not named individually in Mr. Caperton's suit. But he was a central figure in it, and his compensation includes shares and stock options. "The monetary effect on Blankenship is potentially enormous," Professor Gillers said, referring to the November decision. Bruce E. Stanley, a lawyer with Reed Smith in Pittsburgh who represents Mr. Caperton, said he viewed the filing as "an opportunity for the court to get its house in order." D. C. Offutt Jr., a lawyer for Massey in West Virginia, said the only question was whether Chief Justice Maynard could be fair and impartial. "That's his decision to make," Mr. Offutt said, "and he has always taken the position that he can." -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Re: [EC] Fwd: FW: FINAL Mid-Atlantic NIETC press release
by James Kotcon 12 Jan '08

12 Jan '08

I saw it, but I am in Charleston for PSC hearings. It would be great if we sent it to WV news media, perhaps with a quote for a "Local" perspective. "Here in West Virginia, the NIETC Corridor designation would force local ratepayers to absorb the cost of trasmission line proposals like the Allegheny Energy TrAIL project, which scars the state's environment, gouges the ratepayers, and yet provides no benefit to West Virginia consumers" said Jim Kotcon a consultant for the West Virginia Chapter's Energy Committee. "The US Department of Energy has refused to do a complete Environmental Impact Study to fully disclose the adverse impacts of their proposal, and that is a serious procedural flaw that reduces the ability of local citizens to protect their property and the environment." JBK >>> "Paul Wilson" <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> 01/11/08 10:40 AM >>> Have you all seen this? have a good weekend, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Paul Wilson <pjpaulgrunt(a)gmail.com> Date: Jan 10, 2008 7:16 PM Subject: Fwd: FW: FINAL Mid-Atlantic NIETC press release To: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Here is the press release issued today announcing our legal challenge to the DOE's NIETC corridor designation. Our East Coast corridor suit actually gets filed on next Monday. Glen Glen Besa, Regional Director Sierra Club Appalachian Region (DC, DE, GA, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) 422 East Franklin Street, Suite 302 Richmond, VA 23219 O-804-225-9113 x 104 F-804-225-9114 C-804-387-6001 glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org ________________________________ From: Aislinn Maestas [mailto:maestas@nwf.org] Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:05 PM To: Jimdougherty(a)aol.com; 'Sherri Evans-Stanton'; ramsay(a)catskillmountainkeeper.org; Wes Gillingham; dmyers(a)civilwar.org; Michael Leone; 'Andrew Loza'; Erica Ringewald; 'Ed Boito'; mattkenna(a)gmail.com; oliver.bass(a)natlands.org; SANDREA(a)NPCA.ORG; Bryan Faehner; Randy Sargent; cmiller(a)pecva.org; ldart(a)pecva.org; rlazaro(a)pecva.org; aferster(a)railtrails.org; Erin.Chalmers(a)sierraclub.org; glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org; Virginia.Cramer(a)sierraclub.org Cc: Amy Atwood; 'Megan Anderson' Subject: FINAL Mid-Atlantic NIETC press release Please use this version for distribution. -- Paul Wilson Chapter Chair WV Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414 (H) 304-725-4360 -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Fwd: FW: FINAL Mid-Atlantic NIETC press release
by Paul Wilson 11 Jan '08

11 Jan '08

Have you all seen this? have a good weekend, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Paul Wilson <pjpaulgrunt(a)gmail.com> Date: Jan 10, 2008 7:16 PM Subject: Fwd: FW: FINAL Mid-Atlantic NIETC press release To: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> Here is the press release issued today announcing our legal challenge to the DOE's NIETC corridor designation. Our East Coast corridor suit actually gets filed on next Monday. Glen Glen Besa, Regional Director Sierra Club Appalachian Region (DC, DE, GA, MD, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV) 422 East Franklin Street, Suite 302 Richmond, VA 23219 O-804-225-9113 x 104 F-804-225-9114 C-804-387-6001 glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org ________________________________ From: Aislinn Maestas [mailto:maestas@nwf.org] Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:05 PM To: Jimdougherty(a)aol.com; 'Sherri Evans-Stanton'; ramsay(a)catskillmountainkeeper.org; Wes Gillingham; dmyers(a)civilwar.org; Michael Leone; 'Andrew Loza'; Erica Ringewald; 'Ed Boito'; mattkenna(a)gmail.com; oliver.bass(a)natlands.org; SANDREA(a)NPCA.ORG; Bryan Faehner; Randy Sargent; cmiller(a)pecva.org; ldart(a)pecva.org; rlazaro(a)pecva.org; aferster(a)railtrails.org; Erin.Chalmers(a)sierraclub.org; glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org; Virginia.Cramer(a)sierraclub.org Cc: Amy Atwood; 'Megan Anderson' Subject: FINAL Mid-Atlantic NIETC press release Please use this version for distribution. -- Paul Wilson Chapter Chair WV Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414 (H) 304-725-4360 -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Fwd: Environment Colorado's report on Green Jobs
by Paul Wilson 10 Jan '08

10 Jan '08

seems a similar report on the WV economy would be useful. paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Alice McKeown <Alice.McKeown(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 10, 2008 3:24 PM Subject: Environment Colorado's report on Green Jobs To: COAL-CAMPAIGN-FORUM(a)lists.sierraclub.org Below please find the report on jobs that Nancy LaPlaca mentioned on last night's coal activist call. Best wishes, Alice ________________________________ Alice McKeown Sierra Club National Coal Campaign tel: 202.675.6271 fax: 202.547.6009 ----- Forwarded by Alice McKeown/Sierraclub on 01/10/2008 03:17 PM ----- Here's the study I mentioned re: green jobs. Link below will take you to page where PDF can be downloaded. I believe EC (Environment Colorado) is doing similar studies in its "sister" states, i.e. Enviro Ohio, Enviro California etc. Report available for download: http://www.environmentcolorado.org/reports/energy/energy-program-reports/en… Executive Summary Developing Colorado's renewable energy resources will yield better results for Coloradans than building more coal- or gas-fired power plants. By investing in renewable energy to meet our electricity needs, we can create jobs, stabilize energy prices, and reduce the long-term economic and environmental risk from global warming pollution. In this report, we use an economic model to evaluate the net impacts of expanding Colorado's commitment to clean and renewable energy by extending the renewable energy standard established under Amendment 37 to 20 percent by 2020 for investor-owned utilities, plus expanding it to include Colorado's cooperative electricity companies and eligible municipal utilities with a target of 10 percent by 2020. Renewable energy improves Colorado's economy and environment, and should form a central part of Colorado's electricity system. Renewable energy creates jobs. Expanding Colorado's renewable energy standard would create a net increase of 4,100 person-years of employment through 2020. It would also increase total wages paid to workers in the state by a net cumulative total of $570 million. That's approximately four times the positive employment impact and twice the wage impact of Amendment 37. Renewable energy creates economic growth. Expanding Colorado's renewable energy standard would increase Colorado's share of gross domestic product (GDP) by a net of $1.9 billion through 2020. The increase in GDP under an expanded standard would be almost twice as large as under Amendment 37. Renewable energy benefits Colorado's rural areas. Landowners can lease land for wind farms, creating an additional income stream. An expanded renewable energy standard would supplement landowner income with cumulative total lease payments of $50 million through 2020 (60 percent more than under Amendment 37). According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, wind energy provides 10 times more local tax revenue than a coal-fired power plant in Colorado (on an energy-equivalent basis). Expanding Colorado's renewable energy standard would generate $400 million in property taxes (total through 2020) to fund education and other local government services, mainly in rural areas of the state (70 percent more than under Amendment 37). Renewable energy prevents pollution and conserves water. An expanded renewable energy standard would reduce soot, smog, mercury and global warming pollution from Colorado's electricity sector in the year 2020 by approximately 11 percent (compared to business as usual). In that year, the expanded renewable energy program would be 2.3 times as effective at preventing pollution as Amendment 37 alone. An expanded renewable energy standard would save a cumulative total of 18 billion gallons of water through 2020, water that otherwise would be used for steam and cooling in coal- or gas-fired plants. That amount of water (almost twice as large as under Amendment 37) could completely fill Cherry Creek Reservoir more than twice. Renewable energy keeps more of Colorado's energy dollars in the local economy compared to coal- and gas-fired power plants. The National Renewable Energy Lab estimates that a Colorado wind farm has more than three times the direct economic impact of an equivalent coalfired power plant, and more than twice the impact of a gas-fired plant. The NREL study calculates that wind farms keep more than twice as much money in Colorado for construction and operation and maintenance as a coal plant, and more than three times as much as a gas plant. Colorado has more than enough renewable energy resources to make a new energy future a reality. Colorado has excellent wind energy resources, with an estimated technical potential more than 10 times greater than the state's entire electricity needs in 2006. Solar photovoltaic panels occupying just 0.15 percent of Colorado's land area could generate nearly twice as much electricity as the state used in 2006. Colorado also has the potential to use agricultural wastes and switchgrass for energy, with the potential to generate up to 8 percent of the state's electricity needs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the COAL-CAMPAIGN-FORUM list, send any message to: COAL-CAMPAIGN-FORUM-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Re: [EC] [MVCAC] Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation
by James Kotcon 10 Jan '08

10 Jan '08

I am not sure a lot of action by the Committee is needed. The legal team will be responding formally during the hearings. My testimony has already included the position that any "free" electricity for landowners must come from the TrAILCo stockholders, not from the ratepayers, which means we are already in opposition to this settlement. However, letters to the editor, or calls to legislators expressing this position would be worhtwhile. I think that Delegates Beach and Shook and Senators Prezioso and Oliverio could use some citizen input on this settlement. JBK >>> Barbara Fallon <brbr_fallon(a)yahoo.com> 01/09/08 8:41 AM >>> How does the Sierra Club go on record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. Barbara ----- Original Message ---- From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> To: freesource(a)cheat.org; wreger(a)hsc.wvu.edu Cc: Duane330(a)aol.com; mvcac(a)cheat.org; william.depaulo(a)gmail.com; ec(a)osenergy.org; pjhunt(a)xemaps.com; brbr_fallon(a)yahoo.com Sent: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 5:40:11 PM Subject: Re: [MVCAC] Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation While Byron Harris is the new Consumer Advocate, Billy Jack has stayed on as attorney for this case and was the one who signed the settlement. A copy with his signature is available on the PSC's TrAILCo case web page. JBK >>> Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org> 01/08/08 2:18 PM >>> According to the Dominion Post the new PSC Consumer Advocate is Byron Harris. Are we sure that it was Bill Jack Gregg who was in support of this sell-out? This is clearly a desperation move by Trailco. I oppose this agreement. -Jonathan Bill Reger-Nash wrote: > Duane et al, > > I concur that we oppose this agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. What was he thinking!!!! What does Billy Jack Gregg think about this? In his former life, we could count on Billy Jack for a balanced and insightful perspective. > > Again, the ecology of the state is sold out for a few shekels to select stakeholders all the while the rest of us bear the brunt of the ill effects in perpetuity. > > Bill > > WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily > Feel the power of half an hour! > > Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D > Professor of Community Medicine > West Virginia University School of Medicine > Morgantown WV 26506-9190 > Phone: 304/293-0763 > Fax: 304/293-6685 > > Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed > BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/ > > > > > >>>> <Duane330(a)aol.com> 1/8/2008 1:21 PM >>> >>>> > RE: Forwarded message from Jim Kotcon. > > > 1. I make a motion that the Energy Committee of the Sierra Club of West > Virginia > go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer > Advocate and the TrAILCo. > > 2. I make a motion that the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition go on-record in > opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate > and the TrAILCo. > > Notes: > > 1. This Agreement is a front page story in the Morgantown Dominion Post > today. This Agreement was posted yesterday on the web site of the Public > Service Commission and is attached to this forwarded message; or, it can be > found under Case 07-0508 at _www.psc.state.wv.us_ > (http://www.psc.state.wv.us) > > 2. It is particularly disturbing that the offer of free electricity will be > available > only to a select group of people, not all those that are affected by the Line. > And, from an overall point-of-view, the cost of this free electricity will be > charged back to the customers of Allegheny Energy in West Virginia, as > I understand it. > > 3. Herbicides could still be used, just not sprayed from aircraft. > > 4. This Agreement reflects an arbitrary decision by the Consumer > Advocate, without consideration of whether it is fully supported > by the affected citizens, or the people of the State who will > need to pay the the proposed Line. > > Duane Nichols, Member. > > > > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 > > > > _______________________________________________ > MVCAC mailing list > MVCAC(a)cheat.org > http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/mvcac > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Fwd: CTL in WV
by Paul Wilson 09 Jan '08

09 Jan '08

fyi, I think we knew this was coming but I am surprised Manchin is talking about 5 CTL plants. paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <Virginia.Cramer(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Jan 9, 2008 11:43 AM Subject: CTL in WV Tuesday January 8, 2008 http://www.dailymail.com/News/statenews/200801080203 Manchin to tout coal-to-liquid plants in address Developers already looking for sites for five proposed facilities by Jake Stump Daily Mail Capitol Reporter West Virginia's energy independence could bank on the development of five coal-to-liquid plants, which Gov. Joe Manchin hopes the state can accommodate by 2030. Such an initiative serves as the cornerstone of the governor's new state energy report designed to free West Virginia from reliance on foreign oil imports. The governor is likely to tout the plan during his annual State of the State speech, which will be Wednesday evening at the state Capitol. The five plants would ideally produce 20,000 barrels of liquid coal each per day. In the process, state coal production would increase by 15 percent, according to the report. Developers have already been scouring sites in West Virginia for these fuel plants. Colorado-based Rentech Inc. had pledged to build a $1 billion coal-to-liquid plant in Mingo County by 2012. "Realizing as a nation how we're facing real energy security challenges, the feeling is that coal is a way to resolve those issues," said Jeff Herholdt, director of the state Division of Energy. Herholdt said 60 percent of the state's oil products come from imported sources, accounting for 1.4 billion gallons of petroleum product yearly. The development of five coal-to-liquid plants would make up for that amount if they collectively produce 100,000 barrels a day. The state would likely replace oil with liquid fuel derived from coal, the report reads. To liquefy coal, it must be fired up to 1,000 degrees and mixed with water. The gas created from that turns into fuel that can be used in cars and jets. The coal-to-liquid process, however, can be quite costly and intensive. The average price of building a plant is estimated at $4 billion, according to a Washington Post article. The state's report says only half of that, $2 billion, is needed to construct a 20,000-barrel-a-day coal-to-liquid plant. Each plant would require roughly 4 million tons of coal a year. On the national scale, experts believe the process would require vast amounts of water and 120 million tons of coal each year just to wean the United States off of 1 million barrel of crude oil a day. The governor's report, however, states, "While our conventional oil and gas reserves could be materially depleted in decades, our nation's coal reserves are plentiful." Another factor in reaching the governor's goal depends on the private sector's willingness to start up a project in the state. Though the state is encouraging development of coal-to-liquid plants, private companies would be largely responsible for funding such projects. "It's a decision that industry would have to make in making that investment and locating here," Herholdt said. In December 2006, Rentech Inc. and the Mingo County Redevelopment Authority announced a joint development agreement to build a plant that would employ up to 400 full-time workers. The plant would convert synthesis gas, a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced from coal, into 3 million to 9 million barrels of clean-burning transportation fuel annually. Construction is expected to take three years. Rentech and the redevelopment authority are cooperating in developing, financing and owning the plant. Herholdt noted that Vancouver, Wash.-based Baard Energy is another company that could possibly build in West Virginia. Baard Energy has already announced plans for a $5 billion coal-to-liquids plant in Wellsville, Ohio, near Hancock County. That plant would burn 70 percent coal and 30 percent biomass. The company has stated it would capture and sequester 85 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions underground. In addition to the vast amounts of water and coal needed for a successful coal-to-liquid plant, a site would also need to be set on flat land, Herholdt said. There are also environmental concerns to consider, he said. "The environmental side of the issue has caused the slowing down of these technologies," Herholdt said. Citing studies from groups such as the Idaho National Laboratory, Herholdt said that rendering coal-to-liquid fuel has about the same environmental impact as producing standard petroleum. Several critics of this technology remain concerned. They contend that liquid coal fuels generate twice the carbon dioxide of petroleum fuels. Environmentalists have said Manchin's energy plan would do little to reduce the release of greenhouse gases or to discourage mountaintop removal mining methods. Last year, coal production in West Virginia was 148 million tons. A 15 percent increase would bring that number to around 170 million tons. According to the state report, West Virginia ranks 9th per capita in total energy consumption. Gas consumption is 2.3 million gallons per day; distillate fuel is 1.6 million gallons; liquefied petroleum gas is only 0.2 and jet fuel is .03. Contact writer Jake Stump at jakest...(a)dailymail.com or 348-4842. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-6975

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Re: [EC] [MVCAC] Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation
by Barbara Fallon 09 Jan '08

09 Jan '08

How does the Sierra Club go on record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. Barbara ----- Original Message ---- From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> To: freesource(a)cheat.org; wreger(a)hsc.wvu.edu Cc: Duane330(a)aol.com; mvcac(a)cheat.org; william.depaulo(a)gmail.com; ec(a)osenergy.org; pjhunt(a)xemaps.com; brbr_fallon(a)yahoo.com Sent: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 5:40:11 PM Subject: Re: [MVCAC] Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation While Byron Harris is the new Consumer Advocate, Billy Jack has stayed on as attorney for this case and was the one who signed the settlement. A copy with his signature is available on the PSC's TrAILCo case web page. JBK >>> Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org> 01/08/08 2:18 PM >>> According to the Dominion Post the new PSC Consumer Advocate is Byron Harris. Are we sure that it was Bill Jack Gregg who was in support of this sell-out? This is clearly a desperation move by Trailco. I oppose this agreement. -Jonathan Bill Reger-Nash wrote: > Duane et al, > > I concur that we oppose this agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. What was he thinking!!!! What does Billy Jack Gregg think about this? In his former life, we could count on Billy Jack for a balanced and insightful perspective. > > Again, the ecology of the state is sold out for a few shekels to select stakeholders all the while the rest of us bear the brunt of the ill effects in perpetuity. > > Bill > > WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily > Feel the power of half an hour! > > Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D > Professor of Community Medicine > West Virginia University School of Medicine > Morgantown WV 26506-9190 > Phone: 304/293-0763 > Fax: 304/293-6685 > > Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed > BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/ > > > > > >>>> <Duane330(a)aol.com> 1/8/2008 1:21 PM >>> >>>> > RE: Forwarded message from Jim Kotcon. > > > 1. I make a motion that the Energy Committee of the Sierra Club of West > Virginia > go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer > Advocate and the TrAILCo. > > 2. I make a motion that the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition go on-record in > opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate > and the TrAILCo. > > Notes: > > 1. This Agreement is a front page story in the Morgantown Dominion Post > today. This Agreement was posted yesterday on the web site of the Public > Service Commission and is attached to this forwarded message; or, it can be > found under Case 07-0508 at _www.psc.state.wv.us_ > (http://www.psc.state.wv.us) > > 2. It is particularly disturbing that the offer of free electricity will be > available > only to a select group of people, not all those that are affected by the Line. > And, from an overall point-of-view, the cost of this free electricity will be > charged back to the customers of Allegheny Energy in West Virginia, as > I understand it. > > 3. Herbicides could still be used, just not sprayed from aircraft. > > 4. This Agreement reflects an arbitrary decision by the Consumer > Advocate, without consideration of whether it is fully supported > by the affected citizens, or the people of the State who will > need to pay the the proposed Line. > > Duane Nichols, Member. > > > > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 > > > > _______________________________________________ > MVCAC mailing list > MVCAC(a)cheat.org > http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/mvcac > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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Re: [EC] [MVCAC] Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation
by James Kotcon 08 Jan '08

08 Jan '08

While Byron Harris is the new Consumer Advocate, Billy Jack has stayed on as attorney for this case and was the one who signed the settlement. A copy with his signature is available on the PSC's TrAILCo case web page. JBK >>> Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org> 01/08/08 2:18 PM >>> According to the Dominion Post the new PSC Consumer Advocate is Byron Harris. Are we sure that it was Bill Jack Gregg who was in support of this sell-out? This is clearly a desperation move by Trailco. I oppose this agreement. -Jonathan Bill Reger-Nash wrote: > Duane et al, > > I concur that we oppose this agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. What was he thinking!!!! What does Billy Jack Gregg think about this? In his former life, we could count on Billy Jack for a balanced and insightful perspective. > > Again, the ecology of the state is sold out for a few shekels to select stakeholders all the while the rest of us bear the brunt of the ill effects in perpetuity. > > Bill > > WV Walks - 30 minutes or more daily > Feel the power of half an hour! > > Bill Reger-Nash, Ed.D > Professor of Community Medicine > West Virginia University School of Medicine > Morgantown WV 26506-9190 > Phone: 304/293-0763 > Fax: 304/293-6685 > > Dept. web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed > BRN's web page: http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/wreger/ > > > > > >>>> <Duane330(a)aol.com> 1/8/2008 1:21 PM >>> >>>> > RE: Forwarded message from Jim Kotcon. > > > 1. I make a motion that the Energy Committee of the Sierra Club of West > Virginia > go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer > Advocate and the TrAILCo. > > 2. I make a motion that the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition go on-record in > opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate > and the TrAILCo. > > Notes: > > 1. This Agreement is a front page story in the Morgantown Dominion Post > today. This Agreement was posted yesterday on the web site of the Public > Service Commission and is attached to this forwarded message; or, it can be > found under Case 07-0508 at _www.psc.state.wv.us_ > (http://www.psc.state.wv.us) > > 2. It is particularly disturbing that the offer of free electricity will be > available > only to a select group of people, not all those that are affected by the Line. > And, from an overall point-of-view, the cost of this free electricity will be > charged back to the customers of Allegheny Energy in West Virginia, as > I understand it. > > 3. Herbicides could still be used, just not sprayed from aircraft. > > 4. This Agreement reflects an arbitrary decision by the Consumer > Advocate, without consideration of whether it is fully supported > by the affected citizens, or the people of the State who will > need to pay the the proposed Line. > > Duane Nichols, Member. > > > > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 > > > > _______________________________________________ > MVCAC mailing list > MVCAC(a)cheat.org > http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/mvcac >

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Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation
by Duane330＠aol.com 08 Jan '08

08 Jan '08

RE: Forwarded message from Jim Kotcon. 1. I make a motion that the Energy Committee of the Sierra Club of West Virginia go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. 2. I make a motion that the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. Notes: 1. This Agreement is a front page story in the Morgantown Dominion Post today. This Agreement was posted yesterday on the web site of the Public Service Commission and is attached to this forwarded message; or, it can be found under Case 07-0508 at _www.psc.state.wv.us_ (http://www.psc.state.wv.us) 2. It is particularly disturbing that the offer of free electricity will be available only to a select group of people, not all those that are affected by the Line. And, from an overall point-of-view, the cost of this free electricity will be charged back to the customers of Allegheny Energy in West Virginia, as I understand it. 3. Herbicides could still be used, just not sprayed from aircraft. 4. This Agreement reflects an arbitrary decision by the Consumer Advocate, without consideration of whether it is fully supported by the affected citizens, or the people of the State who will need to pay the the proposed Line. Duane Nichols, Member. **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

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Re: [EC] Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation
by Barbara Fallon 08 Jan '08

08 Jan '08

I second the motion for the Sierra Club ----- Original Message ---- From: "Duane330(a)aol.com" <Duane330(a)aol.com> To: ec(a)osenergy.org; mvcac(a)cheat.org Cc: wwonderlin(a)hsc.wvu.edu; pjhunt(a)xemaps.com; brbr_fallon(a)yahoo.com; william.depaulo(a)gmail.com Sent: Tuesday, January 8, 2008 1:21:52 PM Subject: Fwd: CAD & TrAILCo Joint Stipulation RE: Forwarded message from Jim Kotcon. 1. I make a motion that the Energy Committee of the Sierra Club of West Virginia go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. 2. I make a motion that the Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition go on-record in opposition to the Consent Agreement between the WV Consumer Advocate and the TrAILCo. Notes: 1. This Agreement is a front page story in the Morgantown Dominion Post today. This Agreement was posted yesterday on the web site of the Public Service Commission and is attached to this forwarded message; or, it can be found under Case 07-0508 at www.psc.state.wv.us 2. It is particularly disturbing that the offer of free electricity will be available only to a select group of people, not all those that are affected by the Line. And, from an overall point-of-view, the cost of this free electricity will be charged back to the customers of Allegheny Energy in West Virginia, as I understand it. 3. Herbicides could still be used, just not sprayed from aircraft. 4. This Agreement reflects an arbitrary decision by the Consumer Advocate, without consideration of whether it is fully supported by the affected citizens, or the people of the State who will need to pay the the proposed Line. Duane Nichols, Member. Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year. -----Inline Message Follows----- I think we just got blind-sided by the Consumer Advocates Division. Billy Jack Gregg has signed a tentative agreement with TrAILCo in which he agrees not to oppose the Need for TrAILCo's line, agrees to the locaiton of certain portions of the line (although not the Grafton Area Route), agrees that TrAILCo is a public utility, and further agreed to support TrAILCo's requests for recovery of costs of payment of a Transmission Credit before FERC. In return, TrAILCo agrees to provide landowners with up to 12,000 kWh of electricity per year, and agrees to certain restrictions on herbicide use in the corridor. There is a section that I am not entirely clear on. Apparently the cost of this electricity is to be considered part of the "fair market value" for the rights of way. I am not clear as to whether this means that the paymnt for the property is reduced proportionately, or if this only means that the electricity is an "add on" to the property value. In either case, we the ratepayers will get gouged to pay the electric bills of the landowners, and I think we will also get gouged for an extra 14 % for the "incentivized rate of return" under the NIETC. JBK -----Inline Attachment Follows----- I think we just got blind-sided by the Consumer Advocates Division. Billy Jack Gregg has signed a tentative agreement with TrAILCo in which he agrees not to oppose the Need for TrAILCo's line, agrees to the locaiton of certain portions of the line (although not the Grafton Area Route), agrees that TrAILCo is a public utility, and further agreed to support TrAILCo's requests for recovery of costs of payment of a Transmission Credit before FERC. In return, TrAILCo agrees to provide landowners with up to 12,000 kWh of electricity per year, and agrees to certain restrictions on herbicide use in the corridor. There is a section that I am not entirely clear on. Apparently the cost of this electricity is to be considered part of the "fair market value" for the rights of way. I am not clear as to whether this means that the paymnt for the property is reduced proportionately, or if this only means that the electricity is an "add on" to the property value. In either case, we the ratepayers will get gouged to pay the electric bills of the landowners, and I think we will also get gouged for an extra 14 % for the "incentivized rate of return" under the NIETC. JBK ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

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[Fwd: Fw: Todays discussion on FutureGen Coal plant (Ticket# 12182007S53540001:AR0003)]
by Regina Hendrix 02 Jan '08

02 Jan '08

FYI. Mark is a Sierra Club member from Philadelphia. Regina

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