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