January, 05 2009, 01:07pm EDT
Green America Heralds Dynegy's Decision to Pull the Plug On Five Coal-Fired Power Plants as Important Anti-Coal Victory
Step Seen as "Outstanding Clean Energy Start to New Year," Marks Further Decline of Dirty Power in U.S.; Facing Intense Opposition, Energy Company Drops Five of Six Planned
WASHINGTON
The decision by U.S. power company
Dynegy (NYSE:DYN) to pull out of planned power plant projects means
that "coal-fired power is one big step closer to being mothballed once
and for all," according to Green America, formerly known as "Co-op
America."
On Friday, Dynegy canceled its joint development
agreement with LS Power to build a new fleet of coal plants. Although
LS Power retains the right to develop the projects on their own, Dynegy
is far larger than LS Power, and without Dynegy's support LS Power will
have a much harder time raising funds and securing long-term purchase
agreements which enable new power plants to move forward. Green
America was a leader in putting pressure on Dynegy to pull the plug on
its coal-fired power plant expansion plans.
In May 2008, Green America climate action
campaign coordinator Yochi Zakai warned investors attending Dynegy's
annual shareholder meeting about the massive cost of carbon regulation
to the company and also raised concerns about the toll of its coal
plants on surrounding communities and its impact on climate change.
Heeding that message, Dynegy's stock rose 38 cents on Friday as
investors acknowledged the risk that new coal plants represented.
Zakai said: "Dynegy -- the company that was being called 'the next
King Coal' for its extensive new power plant plans -- has all but given
up pursuit of that throne. 2009 promises to be a landmark growth year
for clean energy and with this development coal-fired power is one step
closer to being mothballed once and for all in the U.S."
Under
the terms of Friday's announcement, Dynegy cut its ties to coal-fired
power plant plans in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan and Nevada. LS
Power may continue development on the Arkansas coal plant, and Dynegy
currently plans to move ahead with plans to build a new plant in Texas.
Green America and other groups vow to continue fighting these new coal
plants.
The environmental community had labeled Dynegy
"the next King Coal" in response to their plans to build the coal
plants, the largest new coal fleet proposed in the USA. Last spring
thousands of Green America members spoke up to urge Dynegy to cancel the plants.
Working with individual and institutional investors, Green America
raised concerns about Dynegy's climate risk consistently over the past
year.
"America doesn't need dirty, expensive coal-fired
power plants. A focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy will
be far more cost-effective for meeting power needs going forward," said
Todd Larsen, Green America's director of Corporate Responsibility.
"Investing in efficiency and clean energy will jump start our economy,
America's quest for energy independence and the victory over the
climate crisis."
Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982 and known until January 1, 2009 as "Co-op America." Green America's mission is to harness economic power--the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace--to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
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The two write that time is of the essence: "As Donald Trump prepares to return to the Oval Office, it is more important than ever to take the power to start a nuclear war out of the hands of a single individual and ensure that Congress's constitutional role is respected and fulfilled."
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During the Cold War, when nuclear weapons policy was produced, speed was seen as essential to deterrence, according to Jon Wolfsthal, the director of global risk at the Federation of American Scientists, who wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post last year that makes a similar argument to Markey and Lieu.
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While nuclear tensions today may not be quite as high as they were during the apex of the Cold War, fears of nuclear confrontation have been heightened due to poor relations between the United States and Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine, among other issues. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree lowering the threshold for potential nuclear weapons use not long after the U.S. greenlit Ukraine's use of U.S.-supplied long range weapons in its fight against Russia.
This is not the first time Markey and Lieu have pushed for greater guardrails on nuclear first-use. The two are the authors of the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act, a proposed bill first introduced in 2017 that would bar a U.S. president from launching a nuclear first strike without the consent of Congress.
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