Debate over Iowa power plant draws hundreds

The fight over the future of coal power is heating up in Iowa. Hundreds of people overflowed an Iowa Utilities Board meeting Monday night to speak out on Alliant Energy's proposed $1.5 billion coal-fired plant in Marshalltown, reports Perry Beeman of the Des Moines Register (which produced the map at left).

"Among the supporters were ethanol and utility co-op workers, bankers, local government leaders, state legislators, economic development workers, corporate executives, and construction workers who said the plant would create jobs and offset emissions from older plants," Beeman writes. "Opposing the plant were Meskwaki Tribe members from nearby Tama, environmentalists and health professionals concerned about the plant contributing to lung illnesses and to global warming."

Experts working on behalf of Alliant have said the new plant would support 3,600 jobs and $200 million in personal income for Iowans — mainly those in rural areas, Beeman writes. Earlier, Beeman reported NASA climate scientist James Hansen, the former first deputy comptroller of the state of New York, would speak against the plant as a private citizen. Hansen said the climate is nearing a "tipping point" that demands a reduction in carbon emissions. (Read more)