Under pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency, states and environmental groups, the Tennessee Valley Authority has agreed to close 18 of its oldest coal-fired power plants and spend as much as $5 billion on pollution controls for its other coal burners. It also agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty and spend $350 million on projects to reduce air pollution and boost efficiency, including $240 million to retrofit low-income housing.
Environment & Energy News calls the settlement "a move that will transform one of the nation's largest coal-burning utilities," and The Tennessean calls it "a historical step." Historic, maybe?
The federal utility's board approved the 10-year plan on a 7-1 vote today. The dissenter was Mike Duncan of Inez, Ky., in the Central Appalachian coalfield, where TVA has long bought much of its coal. “I think the settlement is going to be very expensive,” he said. “I think it takes away some flexibility for us in capacity." (Duncan is on the advisory board of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog.) U.S. Rep. John Duncan Jr. of Tennessee wlao criticized the deal, Ed Marcum of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports.
The Tennessean's Anne Paine writes, "Coal is TVA's cheapest form of power, except for hydroelectric power, but as clean air and water regulations tighten, lawsuits continue and the plants grow older, other options are looking more attractive, officials have said." The deal is forecast to reduce TVA emissions of nitrogen oxides by 69 percent and sulfur dioxide by 67 percent. (Read more)
Environment & Energy News calls the settlement "a move that will transform one of the nation's largest coal-burning utilities," and The Tennessean calls it "a historical step." Historic, maybe?
The federal utility's board approved the 10-year plan on a 7-1 vote today. The dissenter was Mike Duncan of Inez, Ky., in the Central Appalachian coalfield, where TVA has long bought much of its coal. “I think the settlement is going to be very expensive,” he said. “I think it takes away some flexibility for us in capacity." (Duncan is on the advisory board of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog.) U.S. Rep. John Duncan Jr. of Tennessee wlao criticized the deal, Ed Marcum of the Knoxville News-Sentinel reports.
The Tennessean's Anne Paine writes, "Coal is TVA's cheapest form of power, except for hydroelectric power, but as clean air and water regulations tighten, lawsuits continue and the plants grow older, other options are looking more attractive, officials have said." The deal is forecast to reduce TVA emissions of nitrogen oxides by 69 percent and sulfur dioxide by 67 percent. (Read more)
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