Duke Energy's plans to build two new coal-fired power plants at the Cliffside facility would add to problems we are currently faced with, including public health, global warming, air and water pollution, and environmental damage caused by the extraction and burning of coal. In our present situation, it's irresponsible to move forward with plans for coal burning plants before first pursuing other measures.
Duke calls coal the cheapest energy source for the Carolinas. This does not take into account the many hidden costs of mining, transporting and burning coal, which impact our environment, our health and our pocketbook.
• Environmental devastation from strip-mining and mountain-top removal and air pollution produced by transporting and burning it.
• Sulfur-dioxide and nitrogen oxides released from smokestacks that contribute to mountain haze, ozone and respiratory problems.
• Airborne particulate matter produced from coal combustion that leads to asthma and other respiratory diseases.
• Higher ozone levels and more red alert days.
• More greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, increasing global warming.
• Mercury, released by coal combustion, which ends up in our fish, leading to more infants born with high levels of mercury and associated physical and mental impairments, incurring life-long costs for special education and living assistance.
• Out-of-state spending to buy coal, which lets dollars leave the N.C. economy.
Costs high but externalized
These costs are seen in higher health care expenses, missed income due to illness and caring for asthmatic children, and a myriad of environmental costs. They are burdens to our society and economy that the coal and power industries have been isolated from -- they are externalized costs. If these costs were internalized into the energy industry -- into our electric bills -- it would be painfully obvious that coal power simply carries too high a price.There are alternatives to coal, and we need to move more deliberately to invest in them. Increased energy efficiency alone might avert the need for more power production. The Southeast region lags far behind the rest of the nation in energy efficiency:
• The average home in the Southeast uses 30 percent more electricity than the national average, 61 percent of which comes from coal.
• This region has the lowest market penetration of Energy-Star efficient appliances in the nation (20 percent).
• Energy efficiency investment per capita is the lowest in the nation.
• The Southeast lags behind other regions of the country with assistance to low-income households to weatherize homes.
Studies show significant job creation and economic development are possible with energy efficiency. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy examined the link between economic development and energy efficiency in Illinois. Benefits found included energy bill savings, job creation, wage increases and the reduction of air pollutants. Similar economic and environmental benefits can be projected for the Southeast.
Energy efficiency measures would help to offset the increased energy needed due to rapid population growth. Even reducing North Carolinians' home power usage enough to match the national average could avert the need for additional coal power plants.
Invest in cleaner sources
After reducing our hunger for electricity, clean, renewable sources of energy -- including wind, solar, hydro, landfill methane, and biomass -- could be developed to support a portion of our remaining energy needs. Investments in these sources would bring their costs down to competitive levels, while keeping those dollars in our state. The state Utilities Commission has a duty to North Carolinians to lead our energy suppliers in this direction, for the long-term benefit of our health and economy.
Estimated cost of the new plants, which Duke wants to pass to customers, is $2 billion. I would much rather have my share of that money used toward the development of clean energy than to burn more coal. We should take this opportunity to think long-term and advance the focus on energy efficiency, as well as clean, renewable energy sources.
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