SUN EDITORIAL:

Letter to Gov. Gibbons

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urges the governor to rethink coal plants

Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

The way coal-fired power plants are approved has changed almost overnight, a fact that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is underscoring in his campaign for cleaner energy production in Nevada.

Reid, D-Nev., in a letter sent this week to Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons, emphasized a ruling that blocked a proposal to expand a coal-fired power facility in Utah.

He wrote that proposals for coal-fired plants in Nevada, including a large, utility-proposed complex near Ely, are affected by the precedent-setting ruling issued this month. Gibbons supports coal plants, despite Nevada’s vast potential for producing clean power.

The expansion proposed for Utah was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Denver office. But the agency’s own appeals board intervened. It ruled that the OK was given without addressing how carbon dioxide emissions — the main cause of global warming — were to be controlled.

U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2004 and 2007 had set the stage for the ruling. They state that the EPA has the authority not only to regulate greenhouse gases, but also to stipulate that the plants use the “best available” anti-pollution technology.

Reid pointed out that these court decisions mean uncertainty now shrouds the permitting process and the cost for coal plants, which could place “billions of dollars of Nevadans’ investment in great jeopardy.”

Also mentioned by Reid was a letter sent by the Western Governors’ Association to President-elect Barack Obama. It strongly endorses a national energy policy that embraces aggressive goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Gibbons should change his personal outlook and do what is best for Nevada, the West and the country — support the move toward an economy based on cleaner energy.

Discussion: 5 comments so far…

By jfnance32

11/29/08 at 4:21 a.m.

Suggest removal

The Las Vegas, Reid and the Democrats are driving us down a road that will lead to much higher utility bills and probably black/brown outs.

Solar and wind are expensive sources of energy.

Neither are 24/7 reliable sources of energy. That means we will need duplicate reliable sources of energy, like coal, nuclear or natural gas to kick in when those solar and wind can not provide the needed energy.

Not building the coal plants will screw over Nevada.

I am sure in 10-20 years that the Sun and Reid will say, "Who me?"
By johnevegas

11/29/08 at 6:07 a.m.

Suggest removal

Coal should stay in the ground. We can't burn up the planet to survive. With the advent of new technologies, we aren't going to need it. Ever.
By Future2012

11/29/08 at 7:52 a.m.

Suggest removal

Why does Reid keep pushing solar and wind for base loaded power plant when he knows the battery storage and transmission problem.

We should be pushing the real future technology of Hydrogen fuel cells.

The use of solar on every roof top in the south would be okay but not base load units. Spend the $700 billion on roof top solar units.

We should have a transition plan to move from coal, oil, and natural gas to Hydrogen fuel cells over a 20-30 time frame.
By Future2012

11/29/08 at 7:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

Why does Reid keep pushing Geothermal which is a Toxic Waste a Problem.

Geothermal sites often are located in protected wilderness areas that environmentalists do not want disturbed.

The level of emissions from geothermal are quite varied and depend on both the geothermal resource as the technology used and the geography.

Geothermal plants require injecting "highly toxic acids" into virgin geothermal wells to increase geothermal power production. That will create groundwater pollution and pose a threat to trout and other wildlife in the regional watershed.

In some applications there can be CO2 emissions, heavy requirements for cooling water--as much as 100,000 gallons per MW per day--hydrogen sulfide emissions, waste disposal issues with dissolved solids, and even toxic waste.
Geothermal power plants tend to emit hydrogen sulfide (H2S)--which is toxic at fairly low levels--and mercury

Whatever is not reinjected into the ground can cause local groundwater pollution. geothermal plants would require excavating RCRA toxic hazardous waste sumps.

Geothermal fluids are always foul smelling--they smell like very rotten eggs due to the H2S. The fluids are highly brackish and contain high levels of heavy metals."

Geothermal power plants are linked to increased seismic activity. The folks in Anderson, California, and other areas surrounding Geysers steamfield, the world's largest developed geothermal field, have fairly complained about induced seismicity brought about by geothermal operations. The seismic activity results when reinjected materials replace extracted steam.
By worstnightmere

11/29/08 at 9:12 a.m.

Suggest removal

Gibbons does not care about this Great State, just recently he passed phony permits, so he, Gibbons and his Canadian mining buddies, could chop down a mountain located on Indian Territory, and take all of the Gold which amounts to Billions, this is what Gibbons does for this State, depletes and strips our State of it's natural organic materials. Gibbons does not care about anyone but himself, and filling his pockets before he leaves office....