St. Louis, MO - Today, a federal judge in St. Louis ordered Ameren to comply with the Clean Air Act by installing pollution controls at its Rush Island and Labadie coal-fired power plants. Following a trial on remedies earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel entered a 157-page Memorandum Opinion today which summarized the Court’s rulings. Sierra Club intervened in this case in 2017.
Air pollution reduction systems at Duke Energy’s Allen Steam Station near Belmont are not working efficiently, and the rate at which nitrogen oxides are emitted by the plant has increased in recent years, according to a report commissioned by the Sierra Club.
FERC announced a new rulemaking today that would dramatically alter how small clean energy resources are compensated under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA)
An independent analysis released today finds that Arizona’s electric utilities can save more than $3 billion by replacing all remaining coal-burning power plants with new renewable energy resources. The Arizona Coal Plant Valuation Study, conducted by energy consulting firm Strategen, analyzes the cost of replacing the 11 existing coal units that provide power to Arizona customers with renewable energy, like solar and wind, as well as market purchases. These savings exceed $10 billion when also accounting for the societal costs of greenhouse gas emissions and the financial tools available to help transition away from coal. All units evaluated are slated for retirement after 2035, with the analysis assuming an earlier retirement of 2023.
The Sierra Club, along with Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Respiratory Health Association (RHA), are seeking approval of a proposed settlement with Illinois Power Resources Generating, LLC (IPRG), an affiliate of Vistra Energy, of a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought by environmental organizations in 2013. The settlement, which must still undergo review and approval from the Judge in the case, includes the retirement of the E.D. Edwards coal-fired power plant by the end of 2022 and $8.6 million in funding for workforce development and public health and environmental projects that benefit Peoria-area communities.
Sierra Club’s new national ad in response, “Duke Energy burns coal like it's 1499” kicks off today and mocks Duke’s claim of moving “beyond coal,” by noting other ancient practices that have been left by the wayside while Duke continues to burn an archaic, toxic energy source: burlap sacks for clothing, whale blubber lanterns for light and flag signals for communications.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Duke Energy wants to burn dirty, uneconomic coal for several more decades and add massive amounts of dangerous fracked gas in North and South Carolina, according to its latest filings with state regulators.
Today, Sierra Club filed direct testimony in WEC Energy Group’s rate case, asserting that WEC is asking customers for $138 million more than is fair and reasonable due to costs associated with the company’s aging coal-fired power plants. WEC Energy Group, which operates as Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) and WEPCO (We Energies), owns all or part of seven coal plants in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, all of which are uneconomic to operate.
North Carolina regulators on Tuesday issued their order on Duke Energy’s 2018 long term energy plans, directing the utility to analyze whether continuing to operate its aging, coal-burning power plants is the least cost alternative option when compared on a level playing field with alternative resources, like solar, battery storage and energy efficiency. The N.C. Utilities Commission also directed Duke to include the full costs for disposal of coal ash in making any comparison with the costs of alternative resources.
Recent tests conducted by the Sierra Club have shown that drinking water is contaminated in neighborhoods around Consumers Energy's J.H. Campbell Coal Plant in West Olive. Results found elevated levels of arsenic, lead, and radium in homes that draw their water from private wells.
Vistra Energy announced today that it is closing its coal burning power plants in Canton, Havana, Hennepin, and Coffeen.
Vistra Energy announced today that it is closing its coal burning power plants in Canton, Havana, Hennepin, and Coffeen.