AP: Calif. Cities Reject Coal-Fired Power

[Eugene]

Calif. Cities Reject Coal-Fired Power


Wednesday November 22, 2006 4:16 PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Southern California is gambling its future power needs
on its constant sunshine, wind and the ability of engineers to effectively
harness those and other alternative energy sources.

Officials in Pasadena, Anaheim and several other large cities notified the
Intermountain Power Agency this week that they would not be renewing their
contracts for cheap, coal-fired power.

Those contracts expire in 2027. That leaves the cities two decades to secure
the alternative energy sources they'll need, from wind farms to desert solar
power.

"It's a huge change," said Mayor Todd Campbell of Burbank, among the cities
that decided Tuesday to not renew its contract. The Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power had already given notice to the Utah-based power agency.
Glendale and Riverside also joined the group.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6233008,00.html

[phantom power]

1. The gloomy hopeless cynic in me has a vision...

of these cities, in 2026, re-negotiating contracts for very very expensive coal power.
:evilgrin:

[NNadir]

3. You are assuming that 2026 will exist.

[phantom power]

5. Well, even my extreme cynicism is just a work in progress...

I still have decades to elevate my cynicism to new hights. The last five years or so nurtured it in ways I never thought possible. I have no doubt that events of the 21st century will result in further improvements. Unless climate change kills me first, along with everybody I ever knew or loved.

[Kolesar]

2. This is "home rule" at its best

http://www.coolcities.us/

[AndyTiedye]

4. Sunshine in the Desert Doesn't Seem Like Much of a Gamble

I don't expect that coal would be all that cheap by 2027 anyway.
It's not as though they will be able to lock in 2006 coal prices that far in the future.

[jpak]

6. Good for them!!

Whereas some people just whine about coal-fired power plants and global warming (and do nothing else) - others are walking the walk.

and they are going to create a lot of good paying renewable energy sector jobs to boot.

:toast: