Our Response to the Denver Post Editorial of August 3, 2005
(see the editorial)Auguest 16, 2005
To the editor,
Kudos for your recent editorial on coal plants. We are grateful
for your
acknowledgements that continuing reliance on coal is destructive
and"global
warming is the most serious environmental issue of our time." We
concur
that building new coal plants takes us in the wrong direction
with
respect
to air pollution and climate change. That is why Clean Energy
Action (www.coloradocleanenergy.org) is challenging Xcel Energy's proposal
to
build a new 750 MW coal plant in Pueblo.
While we agree that negotiation is preferable to protracted litigation,
we believe that the prerequisite for any negotiations is adherence
to Colorado's consumer and environmental protection laws.
Unfortunately, the PUC allowed Xcel to violate the law by
acquiescing to Xcel's request for an exemption from competitive
bidding
for
plants over 250 MW. The PUC ignored clearly cheaper and cleaner
energy
options. Now, the CDPHE wants to issue an air permit without
investigating EPA's Notice of Violation against the existing two coal units
in Pueblo
and in violation of several other air quality protections.
Colorado has abundant wind, solar and efficiency resources. We
should be maximizing our use of these clean technologies rather than building outdated,
polluting and expensive coal plants.
Sincerely,
Dan Friedlander for Clean Energy Action
5686 Cascade Place
Boulder, CO 80303
303-499-0300
