ENERGY: Reid vows to fight coal plants - Business

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Jul. 27, 2007
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ENERGY: Reid vows to fight coal plants

Senate majority leader raps use of air, water by 'power moguls'

By BRENDAN RILEY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sen. Harry Reid
"I'm going to do everything I can to stop it."

CARSON CITY -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday he'll do "everything I can" to stop construction of three major coal-fired power plants in his home state of Nevada and will push for more alternative energy development.

It would make sense politically to support the proposed eastern Nevada projects but "I can't do it. My conscience wouldn't let me," Reid told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

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Two of the projects are near Ely and the third is near Mesquite. Reid said the Ely-area projects alone would require millions of tons of coal a year that in turn would generate millions of tons of pollution.

"I just can't do that. I'm going to do everything I can to stop it," he said.

"All these power moguls want to do is to steal our air and water," Reid said, adding that the power plants might be good for economic development in rural areas "but this isn't good for Nevada. I can't comprehend how much coal would be used."

Reid commented after sending letters to the heads of Reno-based Sierra Pacific Resources, Sithe Global Power in New York, LS Power in New Jersey and Dynegy in Texas. Sierra Pacific and Sithe Global have separate projects while LS Power and Dynegy are developing the third project.

In his letter, Reid said he's strongly opposed to the plants and the state's financial, and ratepayer resources "should be heavily focused on rapid and significant investments in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency."

Reid said he's concerned about global warming and it would be "prudent for Nevada, the United States and the entire world" to begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Rather than spend billions of dollars on the plants, Reid said the money could be used to install solar systems on several hundred thousand homes around Nevada.

The majority leader wrote that because he believes renewable energy is preferable, "I will use every means at my disposal to prevent the construction of new coal-fired power plants in Nevada that do not capture and permanently store green house gas emissions."

Tom Johns, vice president of Sithe Global which is planning a $1 billion, 750-megawatt plant near Mesquite, in Lincoln County, said Reid "is entitled to his own opinion. The senator also is not in favor of nuclear power. So you wonder what the senator really views as a source of power."

Johns added that Sithe Global is developing renewable energy sources but "there's clearly a need for base-load power that's available 24 hours a day." Coal-fired plants provide that but sources such as solar or wind power are variable, he added.

Eric Crawford, project manager for the $3.7 billion, 1,500-megawatt power plant near Ely, in White Pine County, that LS Power and Dynegy want to build would be "a very clean, very efficient facility that certainly would comply with all federal, state and local standards."

"We think you need diversity and not one fuel is the solution," Crawford added. "You have to use them all." He added that LS Power and Dynegy plan to invest "hundreds of millions of dollars" into renewable energy.

Michael Yackira, president and chief operating officer of Sierra Pacific Resources, said his company "respectfully disagrees" with Reid's position on the coal plants, adding that the plants shouldn't "be measured with the same yardstick because they are not by any means alike."

He said Sierra Pacific Resources' Ely project will include a transmission line that will connect Nevada Power in Southern Nevada to Sierra Pacific Power in Northern Nevada, enabling development of solar and wind power plants in areas along the power line route.

Yackira said Sierra's $3.7 billion Ely Energy Center, which would generate 1,500 megawatts of electricity, "would definitely be in the best interests of our state since it will provide technological advantages that will allow us to shut down older, existing coal facilities."

Yackira also said the state Public Utilities Commission has "given us a mandate to proceed with initial development plans for the Ely Center."

State consumer advocate Eric Witkoski called Reid's statement "kind of refreshing" and said he shared Reid's concerns. Coal-fired plants use a lot of water, a precious commodity in the desert, and appear to contribute to global warming, Witkoski said.

Witkoski fears Congress will either force coal-burning industries to pay a tax or buy credits from other companies through so-called "cap-and-trade" markets that cap total carbon dioxide pollution. That would increase the cost of power from the Ely plant.

Witkoski acknowledged that the electric power company is right to want to reduce its reliance on generating power from natural gas, which often spikes in price, and is prudent to seek new power sources to keep up with rapid Nevada growth.

Review-Journal writer John G. Edwards contributed to this report.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Neil wrote on July 30, 2007 11:11 AM: I am glad Harry had the good sense to step up now. It is sad to see so many people ready to give in to dirty coal power. Turn down your AC, turn off you lights and invest in green power. Shell out to install solar on your house. In Nevada, solar works. Power needs drop sustantially at night. In Nevada, conservation would work if people rose above their selfish, wasteful ways. This is the consumer's (me and you) fault as much as anybody. I would hate to accept mercury poisoning and birth defects just to keep the wasteful city of Vegas in power. It is not worth a single Ely life. Jayne wrote on July 30, 2007 10:46 AM: Have any of you ever been to Great Basin National Park? Hmm, I would Harry Reid is just trying to protect his investment in Great Basin (NATIONAL PARK THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE)- Solar can produce what we need- see concentrated solar- which will NOT hurt Great Basin National Park. You guys should all be thanking Harry for the park AND thanking him for trying to protect it! manfromnevada wrote on July 28, 2007 10:35 AM: Just what we need. More meddling by Hairy Weed where he has no business. Yeah, go ahead, build a big solar array, see how much it costs, and how much it produces at night. Oh? You mean we need just as much conventional capacity at night as if we used it all day? And where are all the investors lining up for this solar project? Or is this tax money he's willing to waste? I, for one, am sick of it. Beth wrote on July 28, 2007 06:38 AM: Glad to see that everyone disagrees with Reid. Disagree with Reid - sounds like a catchy campaign slogan for the opposition! Vote Libertarian next election. They promote States Rights, private business and will limit government involvement in your life. Katie wrote on July 27, 2007 11:13 PM: Wait! Come to think of it "Fighting global warming" is a much more convincing campaign slogan than "Protecting White Pine water." It appears if it is not in the Senators best interests it is not important. Katie wrote on July 27, 2007 11:01 PM: It is so refreshing to see that our great Senator is concerned about maintaining the beauty of White Pine County. Given this new found support there is another issue to discuss – water. Based on Senator Reid’s statements I feel confident he is ready to fight the “moral” fight against Clark County. I know he will use “all available resources” to ensure that Las Vegas does not drain Spring Valley. I know because he is so concerned about maintaining the beauty of White Pine County. Senator, please show everyone that your stand against coal fired power plants was not a deceitful attempt to gain presidential election votes. Prove to everyone you are a man of your word, stand against Clark County and protect White Pine County. Allow them no water or if they must siphon White Pine water make sure it comes at a very large price tag with pages of regulation. Senator, I look forward to your support and expect to be reading another press release in the very near future. My only confusion is why the Senator (who obviously is very concerned about maintaining the beauty of White Pine County) didn’t start fighting for White Pine many months ago? bruce wrote on July 27, 2007 06:45 PM: senator reid is so busy trying to lose the wor on terror and making illeals leagel.that he forgets where electrisity comes from remember a few years back california had black outs because thay would'nt allow refinerys to be built nevada panicked and bought millions of dollors of electricty we aare still paying for that mistake senator we need power.dont stop it until you come with a better plan ha ha Bob wrote on July 27, 2007 05:30 PM: Once again Harry Reid sticks it to rural Nevada. I only wish we knew the real reason he is coming out against projects that will provide the state needed power and a critical ecomomic boost to rural areas. Unfortunately he may just have the power to make good on his primise. The federal agencies that must approve these projects will not have to backbone to stand up to him. Triple Eight wrote on July 27, 2007 04:27 PM: wow.... so many negative comments re. good ol' harry boy. how DOES he keep getting re-elected? probably the same way pelosi does -- they play to the galleries and never tackle a REALLY serious issue. gosh.... color me stunned.... Dave wrote on July 27, 2007 09:39 AM: Fools !!!! We need 1) Nuclear Energy for Power 2) Clean Coal Power Fools! Solar, Wind, Geothermal, etc will not produce enough for many years to come ! Fantasy! Pandering ! Oops, remember, this is Harry Reid! Read All Comments