Cliffside

Have we learned everything we need to know about the truth about coal? today on Daily Koss they have assembled gobs of reports about what the issues are about COAL

www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/23/61828/9692/801/520914

This river supplies drinking water to more than a million people along the way and supports the water needs of numerous coal and nuclear power plants. Duke Energy's renewal of its federal license to manage the Catawba is set to expire this year.

This happened about a year ago. But with Cliffside in the news, I think this deserves some attention. Last May, around the time that the Progress Energy plant was a hot topic in Asheville, Duke Energy floated a fascinating proposal to the NC Utilities Commission. In it, they suggested that they would promote energy efficiency as a "fifth fuel" by sponsoring education programs and providing subsidies for the purchase of more energy-efficient appliances and devices.

So far, so good. Where it gets weird is in the reward Duke sought for being virtuous: a new fee (starting at $15 per customer per year) that would compensate the utility for the electricity it didn't sell because of decreased demand. That fee was based not only on program costs or unsold wattage, but also on the cost of the power plants the utility would have had to build if customers didn't conserve.

According to Jim Rogers Duke Energy CEO:

"He said that Duke Energy was the third largest emitter of carbon in the United States and the twelfth in the world -- and if considered an independent nation, Duke Energy would be 41st in the world -- so carbon emissions is a huge issue for him and his firm and wants to turn that around."

We can act now to channel over $1 billion into local government efforts to improve energy efficiency, lower energy usage, and reduce fossil fuel emissions.

Looks like the pro-Cliffside crowd want Duke energy to break our Clean Air Law. Fortunately the SELC would rather them not.

Mountain Xpress: This morning, the Southern Environmental Law Center and 18 other environmental organizations from across the state issued a petition to the state Division of Air Quality, urging the agency to revoke or modify an air permit issued to Duke Energy for its new Cliffside facility.

In a letter to Keith Overcash, director of the division, the SELC charges that the permit, which was issued to Duke on Jan. 29, violates the Clean Air Act because it does not require Duke to use the best available controls for mercury emissions.

The amazing and legendary Avram Friedman filed to run against Phil Haire in the 119th district - right next door to the ginormous Cliffside Power Plant in Rutherford County. Friedman has been creating, advocating, marketing, and innovating alternative energies for decades. Founder of the Canary Coalition, Friedman is perhaps the most environmentally progressive candidate ever to run for statehouse. From the press release:

"His opponent is incumbent Phil Haire who supports Duke Energy's decision to build Cliffside Unit 6, an 800 megawatt coalburning power plant in Rutherford County, a short distance from his district. Friedman opposes the plant as an unnecessary danger to public health and the environment.

Haire also voted for Senate Bill 3 in the 2007 legislative session, which Friedman promises to make into a campaign issue. This bill lifted a 25-year ban that prohibited the practice of charging electric ratepayers for construction-work-in-progress on new polluting coal and nuclear power plants.

In contrast to Haire, Friedman also promises to advocate strongly for comprehensive public transportation in North Carolina, major wind and solar energy development, utility rate-restructing to reward conservation and efficiency efforts, and a moratorium on the construction of new coal and nuclear power plants."

From NC WARN: This ruling should delay the Cliffside project at least two months, drive the price even higher, and seriously impair chances that the plant will ever be built. It’s also a mighty blow against polluting utilities and their control over our government.

I just received this E-mail in my inbox:

Debate on Cliffside & Climate, Tuesday 5th

Tuesday at noon, NC WARN’s Jim Warren and a Duke Energy official will be Frank Stascio’s guests on WUNC Radio’s State of Things. (91.5 FM. You can also hear it live or later at WUNC.org)

It is also broadcast through WRQM, 90.9 FM Rocky Mount and WUND, 88.9 FM Manteo/Columbia.

As we said last week, the fight over Duke Energy’s Cliffside power plant is far from over. There is much upcoming on the legal and public action fronts. For now, please keep spreading the word.

I was lucky enough to hear Jim speak at the recent event at the Friday Center, and I have a feeling this debate will be quite interesting. :)

This story courtesy of Progressive Pulse and Adam Searing.

Yesterday my wife and I got a letter only for “select Duke Energy customers” letting us know the exciting news that we were now eligible to enroll in their convenient “Fixed Payment Plan.”

If you weren’t selected for this honor too, here’s the pitch: You can pay a fixed amount every month for your electric bill based on the average of your energy use. Presumably, when you crank the AC in August you don’t see a $150 bill.