The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), that scourge of the Hill Country, recently bought a stake in a new coal-fired power plant. Why invest in coal? LCRA Chair Rebecca Klein defended the decision in a press release thusly: “As the Central Texas economy and population continue to grow, so does the need for new sources of cleaner power.” Because for a new source of “cleaner power,” it’s hard to beat a good ol’ fashioned coal-fired power plant, right?
Klein, a Gov. Perry appointee, went on to explain that: “Adding coal-fueled base-load generation helps reduce LCRA’s reliance on power from natural gas, which has more price volatility.”
While the second sentence is true in the strictest, most bloodless accounting sense (coal is “cheaper” as long as you avoid taking into account the health effects of air pollution and the impacts of climate change), it’s hard to get around the notion that a coal-fired power station is a “new source of cleaner power.” It’s just not. The coal plant in question, a joint venture between L.S. Power and Dynegy Inc. near Waco, would emit thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide, mercury, smog-forming gases, and carbon dioxide. Locals and environmental groups bitterly oppose the plant.
Full article
