Sierra Club asks (Gov) Sebelius for moratorium on coal-fired plants (Kan.)

[jpak]

http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/15614009.htm

TOPEKA, Kan. - Sierra Club wants Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to prevent the construction of new coal-fired electric plants and appoint a commission to study their potential environmental effects.

The request Tuesday from the group's Kansas chapter was a response to plans by Sunflower Electric Power Corp. to build three generating plants that burn coal to produce power outside Holcomb in southwest Kansas.

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The new coal-fired plants would make Sunflower's total generating capacity nearly seven times greater than it is now. Much of the new power would be exported to Colorado.

"We believe this will effectively kill the development of wind energy for the next 50 or 60 years. Once you build these coal plants, what incentive is there for utilities to utilize wind energy?" Benjamin said during an interview. "I have a 9-year-old grandson, and he'll be in his 60s when these plants are decommissioned."

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