Editorial: Coal plant burnout

Monday, July 30, 2007 | 7:05 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to fight the construction of three coal-fired power plants in Nevada, saying that it is time to seriously pursue alternative energy sources.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Nevada Democrat said that Nevada "should be a leader in renewable energy and energy independence" and that "building another inefficient and polluting coal plant in the heart of our state would be a gigantic step away from that goal."

In a story published Friday, Reid told the Associated Press that "it would make sense politically" to support construction of the plants - two in White Pine County near Ely and one in Lincoln County near Mesquite - but, Reid added, communities need to take seriously the threat of global warming and take stronger measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In rejecting the plants, Reid said that the billions that would be spent on those operations should instead be pumped into developing renewable sources, such as wind and solar power.

Not surprisingly, Reid's declaration drew opposition from the power companies that propose to build the three plants. Company officials told the AP that their companies intend to spend significant amounts of money on alternative energy sources, but coal plants still are needed to provide reliable power 24 hours a day. And, these officials added, new technology has made it possible to build a far cleaner coal plant.

Still, fewer emissions are not the same as none at all. It is heartening that Reid and other public officials are rejecting the energy industry's assertions that the only reliable means of generating power are methods that leave us with greenhouse gases or other undesirable refuse, such as high-level nuclear waste. This nation must stop treating renewable energy sources as the amusement park attractions of the energy industry. These sources must become the norm, rather than the novelty, if we are to significantly reduce harmful emissions. And it takes guts for Reid to stand up and say so.