Mayor Lauds Green Energy Over Coal Plant

Mayor Lauds Green Energy Over Coal Plant

"Mayor Hahn's decision to stop this coal plant, combined with his commitment to clean, renewable energy puts Los Angeles on the path toward becoming one of the most environmentally progressive cities in the country."

- Bernadette Del Chairo, Clean Energy Advocate

Los Angeles, California - August 26, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] Money spent to establish the coal fired Intermountain Power Plant 3 (IPP3) would be better spent on renewable energy purchases, according to Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn. Hahn has directed the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to immediately end all commitments with the IPP3 project, and use the money for green energy purchases to help meet the city's goal of 20 percent renewable energy by 2017. The letter would end the city's years-long investment in a proposal to build a 950 MW coal fired power plant in Utah.

"This is a historic move and exactly the kind of leadership needed to make Los Angeles a worldwide clean energy leader," said Bernadette Del Chiaro, Clean Energy Advocate for Environment California Research and Policy Center. "Mayor Hahn's decision to stop this coal plant, combined with his commitment to clean, renewable energy puts Los Angeles on the path toward becoming one of the most environmentally progressive cities in the country."

Los Angeles DWP currently generates 50 percent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants located in Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Plans have been underway for several years to expand the city's coal investments by building IPP3. The Mayor's letter to pull out of the coal plant project follows two years of campaigning by environmentalists calling on the Mayor to reduce the city's dependence on fossil fuels by increasing the city's use of renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal power.

"The result of this letter is the prevention of nearly 7 million tons of global warming pollution per year and an invaluable benefit of cleaner air," said Del Chiaro. "With this new coal plant out of the picture, the pathway is now cleared for Los Angeles to truly move toward clean, affordable and reliable energy."

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