Tell your Representatives to Support Legislation Opposing New Coal Plants
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Please write your representatives and ask the to support H.R. 5575, the "Moratorium on Uncontrolled Power Plants Act." H.R. 5575 was introduced by Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Rep Edward J. Markey, chairs of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H.R. 5575 places a moratorium on the issuance of permits to new coal-fired that are not equipped with state-of-the-art control technology to capture the plant's carbon dioxide emissions. The bill also prevents coal-fired plants without state-of-the-art control technology from obtaining free or discounted emissions allowances. Here in Montana Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission (SME) has been trying to get financing for a new coal-fired plant, the Highwood Generating
Station. This plant would emit 3 million tons of greenhouse gases each year. There have been some positive developments; on February 19th The Agricultural Department’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced that it has suspended its low-interest lending for building new coal-fired plants, which means RUS will not be lending SME money for the Highwood Plant. However, SME is still searching for other ways to finance the plant and could still succeed in building the Highwood plant. Passage of H.R. 5575 is very important because it would mean that would that plants like this couldn't go forwards here in Montana, and around the county. |
