Feb 21 - Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque)

Spearheaded by a national campaign, environmental activists are stepping up their efforts to block construction of two coal-fired plants in Iowa.

The activists hope that a grassroots effort will build pressure on utilities to drop plans for the plants, planned for Marshalltown and Waterloo.

At issue are not only complaints about pollution from the plants but a disagreement over the need for additional power.

"Coal is just the dirtiest form of energy," said Marshalltown resident Sally Wilson, who helped organize efforts against a plant proposed for the area. "Even if we did need to expand our energy supply - and I don't really see the demand they're claiming there is - I'd never pick coal. It's filthy. It's so polluting."

Wilson and others have worked to derail a coal-fired plant that is proposed by a consortium led by Wisconsin-based Alliant Energy Corp.

Separately, the Sierra Club announced on Wednesday a national effort to pressure Houston-based Dynegy to stop its efforts to build six coal-fired plants, including one proposed near Waterloo. The plant is proposed by a Dynegy subsidiary, LS Power.

Representatives of the energy companies said they are sympathetic to concerns about emissions from coal-powered plants, but they said the new plants are needed.

"Demand continues to drive the need for additional energy," said Ryan Stensland, a spokesman for Alliant Energy. "The sources of power they'd like are not always viewed as reliable. At times when we need power most - during the summer peak periods - wind blows the least."

Stensland also expressed frustration at environmental groups, which he said instinctively say "no" - no matter how Alliant tailors its efforts.

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