FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Michelle Rosier, Senior Regional Organizing Manager, 612-659-9124 x304
Date: July 9, 2009
Elk River Rejects Big Stone II
As Sierra Club Announces 100 Coal Plants Prevented or Abandoned
Minneapolis, MN: Elk River Municipal Utilities rejected a proposal to become a partial owner in Big Stone II on the eve of today's announcement by the Sierra Club that 100 coal plants have been defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush in 2001. While investments in coal wane, a smart mix of clean energy solutions like energy efficiency, wind, solar and geothermal has stepped up to meet America's energy needs. Last year 42 percent of all new power producing capacity came from wind, and for the first time the wind industry created more jobs than mining coal.
Coal power took a number of hits yesterday. Elk River's decision was the same day as a decision by Basin Electric Power in South Dakota to pull plans for a new coal-fired power plant. However, it was the Intermountain Power coal plant in Utah that became the 100th prevented coal plant - a significant milestone in the shift to clean energy.
For the past six years the Sierra Club and its allies have been running a hard-hitting campaign to expose the dirty truth about coal. Tremendous grassroots pressure, rising costs, and upcoming federal carbon regulations all contributed to the demise of the 100 plants. In Minnesota hundreds of volunteers turned out to public hearings, held rallies and met with officials to push for cleaner alternatives to the Big Stone II plant. In September, investors in Big Stone II will vote on whether or not to proceed with the plant. Both Great River Energy and the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency have backed out of the project.
The Big Stone II plant would emit about 4.5 million tons of global warming pollution every year, along with harmful levels of soot and smog pollution, which can worsen asthma and cause other respiratory illnesses. In addition to harming our health, the Big Stone II plant would prevent the development of clean energy solutions in Minnesota.
"The community opposition to the Big Stone II coal plant here is just one part of a growing nationwide movement," said Rich Femling, local volunteer with the Sierra Club coal campaign since 2001. "It's clear that the American people are ready for a switch to the clean energy technologies that can help repower our economy."
That movement has kept well over 400 million tons of harmful global warming pollution out of the air annually, making significant progress in the fight against global warming. Stopping 100 new coal plants has also kept thousands of tons of asthma causing soot and smog pollution, as well as toxins like mercury out of our air and water.
As the new coal rush ends in many states the Sierra Club is working to replace existing dirty and unreliable coal plants that are large contributors to health-harming soot, smog and mercury pollution with cleaner energy options that create more jobs.
"The coal industry is still pushing forward with plans for dozens of new plants, including Big Stone II, and pouring money into slick advertising campaigns and lobbying efforts," said Margaret Levin, Sierra Club State Director. "So while the coal rush may be entering a new phase in some parts of the country, it is far from over."
For more, visit www.sierraclub.org/100coalplants.