Federal energy efficiency money used to subsidize old coal plant

[Radical Activist]

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity was given federal stimulus money for energy projects. The only catch is that the department is in the pockets of the coal industry. Money meant for clean energy and efficiency is being wasted on old coal plants owned by companies that should be paying for their own upgrades. They're keeping Southern Illinois dependent on king coal instead of creating real clean energy jobs.


http://thesouthern.com/news/local/article_6217f458-d361-11df-9cc9-001cc4c002e0.html

SIPC received a $1.5-million Coal Demonstration Grant award and a $455,000 Electric Energy Efficiency Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The energy efficiency grant comes from the State Energy Plan and was provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. SIPC will pay the remaining $1.669 million.

Illinois received $103 million in recovery act funds and had more than $500 million worth of applications for that money.

SIPC's total package was what earned it a piece of the state's recovery act pie, said Warren Ribley, the director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

[sandnsea]

1. 54% of US electricity comes from coal

I don't think we can get off of that much coal in just a year or two. If they can significantly reduce pollution from some of the dirtier plants, I think they should do it.

[Radical Activist]

2. It's down to 48% and dropping.

We have enough unused natural gas capacity already built to match the output of all coal plants. We could do that next year and dramatically decrease global warming pollution. New wind and solar plants can be built just as fast as old coal plants can be retrofitted. It's a waste to spend money on plants that should be shut down in the next few years anyway.

[Radical Activist]

3. Incidentally

Oregon is almost coal free. It only has one or two coal plants left to shut down.

[sandnsea]

4. We have that big dam on the Columbia River

We never used a lot of coal here in the first place. I still don't think we can get from coal to wind and solar fast enough to justify leaving coal plants dirty. Just my opinion.

[Radical Activist]

5. We have excess power capacity

since the economic downturn. If we keep things going with energy efficiency then we can shut down the oldest, dirtiest coal plants even before we build new wind and solar.

[sandnsea]

6. Is there a list?

Maybe it's possible to identify the 25 or 100, or however many, of the worst. Work on proving the closures wouldn't create a shortage and getting that message out. ???

I don't think relying on an economic downturn to close power plants is a particularly good strategy though.

[Radical Activist]

7. I wasn't suggesting that we rely

on the economic downturn. I was suggesting that we keep spending on energy efficiency projects, which will make many existing coal plant unnecessary even after the recovery.

The worst carbon polluters in the US and world are ranked at CARMA.

http://carma.org/dig/show/202

[sandnsea]

8. Thank You!

That site looks terrific, I've never seen it before. I'll definitely scour through it.

I didn't really think you were suggesting we rely on an economic downturn for our energy solutions, I was just trying to point out that it doesn't have much of a bearing on the debate. I think it gives a real coal proponent a way to dismiss your arguments entirely. I like to have points that can't be debated by anybody. Probably the control freak in me, lol.

[Radical Activist]

9. It's a fun site to search around in.

No problem.

[Canuckistanian]

10. Whose hare-brained idea was this?

Does Illinois have an Inspector General? I'd consider this to be misspent funds.

[Radical Activist]

11. DCEO

A lot of politicians buy into the idea that coal is the only economic development strategy for downstate Illinois. Chicago gets the real jobs. Southern Illinois waits for the mines to reopen.

[Canuckistanian]

12. They could at least be truthful about it

Sigh. Pardon me for being so naive.