Fyi...
----- Forwarded by Aaron
Isherwood/Sierraclub on 03/15/2010 09:48 AM -----
From:
Bruce Nilles/Sierraclub
To:
Date:
03/14/2010 04:43 PM
Subject:
Wisconsin State
Journal: A century of coal-burning ends at downtown power plant
We did it. The first of the
three downtown coal plants in Madison (WI) has stopped burning coal. When
any of you visit Madison in the future, the air will be cleaner, the fish
safer, and the City's carbon footprint diminished. The immediate
benefits of this will be felt as far away as West Virginia, because the
state was using Massey coal. No more. The next two coal plants
will end coal use in 2011 per our court agreement.
Special thanks to Jennifer Feyerherm,
our attorney David Bender, and a great team of volunteer leaders who made
this all happen. And stay tuned for more news on additional state-owned
coal plants going down in the near future.
Cheers,
Bruce
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_10fe7ed4-2e93-11df-9b53-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story
A century of coal-burning ends
at downtown power plant
By DEE J. HALL | dhall@madison.com
| 608-252-6132 | Posted: Saturday, March 13, 2010 5:18 am
For the first time in 100 years,
no coal is being burned at Downtown Madison's Capitol Heat and Power Plant,
said David Helbach, Wisconsin's director of state facilities.
Late last month, the state shut
down its coal burners at the plant, which provides steam and chilled water
to the state Capitol and nearby state office buildings.
The state will spend about $25 million
this fall to install gas boilers that will allow the plant to cool and
heat Downtown office buildings using only natural gas, Helbach said.
In the interim, the plant is using
smaller boilers already in place and will buy electricity from Madison
Gas & Electric as needed.
"We'll be able to produce all
of the steam and chilled water we need without using coal," Helbach
said.
The switchover is part of a court
agreement between the state and the Sierra Club calling for the elimination
of coal at two state-owned plants: UW-Madison's Charter Street Heating
Plant and the Capitol plant. Converting the Charter Street plant from coal
to biomass is expected to cost $251 million.
Last month, the state Department
of Administration also announced changes at six other coal-fired heating
plants that will reduce or eliminate the use of coal at those locations.
Coal burning is a major producer of particulate pollution, greenhouse gases
and mercury contamination in fish.
DOA Secretary Michael Morgan announced
the state would install additional pollution controls, eliminate coal use
or possibly shut down five coal-fired heating plants at Mendota Mental
Health Institution in Madison and UW campuses at Eau Claire, La Crosse,
Oshkosh and River Falls.
The department also said it would
stop using coal at the state-owned heating plant in Waupun that serves
Waupun, Dodge and Burke correctional institutions and other state-owned
buildings in the area.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources had determined that those plants were violating the federal Clean
Air Act.
Jennifer Feyerherm, director of
the Sierra Club's Wisconsin Clean Energy Campaign, called kicking coal
at the Capitol plant "a wonderful thing."
"I know that hundreds and hundreds
of activists and volunteers around the state who've been pushing for this
are excited that we have our first state plant officially off coal,"
she said.
Bruce Nilles, Director
Beyond Coal Campaign
Sierra Club
408 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
T: 202.675.7905
C: 608.712.9725
E: bruce.nilles@sierraclub.org
W: www.sierraclub.org/coal