Share: 

homepage - programs - environmental law - lawsuits - dominion to shutter coal plant, invests in wind farm in indiana

Dominion to Shutter Coal Plant, Invests in Wind Farm in Indiana

Case Updates:

May 23, 2011

Dominion Resources has announced plans to retire its coal-fired Stateline Power Station in favor of a cleaner, renewable energy – wind. New federal air quality rules proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would have required the facility to install new pollution control equipment to reduce harmful air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxide and mercury, which cause acid rain and public health problems. In response, Dominion opted to finally shutter the coal plant.

For decades, the 85-year-old Stateline Power Station has operated without modern pollution controls. In 1977, Congress exempted older plants from Clean Air Act amendments that imposed stricter standards for new coal plants, on the assumption that the aging plants would soon be retired. The Stateline coal plant, located near Chicago just over the Indiana border, is among the top emitters of soot-causing nitrogen oxide pollution in the nation. Last year, Sierra Club and its partners sent the facility a notice of intent to sue over alleged air permit violations. The environmental groups’ effort followed EPA’s 2009 enforcement action against the coal plant for thousands of soot and smoke opacity violations from 2004 to 2008.

As polluters are forced to internalize their true environmental and public health costs, retiring aging, dirty coal plants, becomes a smart option. Retiring existing coal plants opens the door for the development and distribution of renewable, replacement energy, such as wind, solar, and energy efficiency. Dominion is now investing in a 750-megawatt wind farm - one of the largest in the country - currently under construction in Benton County, Indiana.

Details and Documents:

More Info:

See other "Promoting Clean Energy" cases.