Federal Loans for Coal Plants Clash With Carbon Cuts

[IDemo]

By Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 14, 2007

A Depression-era program to bring electricity to rural areas is using taxpayer money to provide billions of dollars in low-interest loans to build coal plants even as Congress seeks ways to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

That government support is a major force behind the rush to coal plants, which spew carbon dioxide that scientists blame for global warming.

The beneficiaries of the government's largesse -- the nation's rural electric cooperatives -- plan to spend $35 billion to build conventional coal plants over the next 10 years, enough to offset all state and federal efforts to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions over that time.

The Office of Management and Budget wants to end loans for new power plants and limit loans for transmission projects in the most remote rural areas. But the powerful National Rural Electric Cooperative Association deployed 3,000 members* on Capitol Hill last week to push Congress to keep the program intact, arguing that the loans for new coal plants are needed to keep electricity cheap and reliable in rural areas.

http://:www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051301105.html?hpid=topnews

* :wtf:

[Vincardog]

1. electricity cheap and reliable in rural areas. HA HA HA

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[razzleberry]

2. if someone would provide an alternative...

this whole thing would be unneeded

[Nihil]

3. Totally frigging loopy!

> The beneficiaries of the government's largesse -- the nation's rural
> electric cooperatives -- plan to spend $35 billion to build conventional
> coal plants over the next 10 years, enough to offset all state and federal
> efforts to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions over that time.

You know, I always thought suicide was a deliberate act, not something
that simply follows from being unbelievably fucking stupid ...

:wow: