NASA scientist James Hansen, one of the earliest top researchers to warn the world about global warming, is calling for a moratorium on building new coal-fired power plants and bulldozing older generators that don’t capture and bury greenhouse gases by 2050.
He says increased efficiency can make up for cutbacks in coal, which now provide about 50% of the energy used in the U.S.
159 coal-fired power plants are scheduled to be built over the next decade.
While NGO Enviroment Texas applauded the cancellation of eight TXU coal plants, even three plants should not remain on the drawing board, along with 140 other plants across the country.
“That’s eight down, 11 more to go,” said Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas. “TXU’s announcement is great news, but there are still 11 other coal plants in the works in Texas, including the 3 dirtiest plants proposed by TXU. The fight has just begun.”
Sen. Rodney Ellis has filed SB 860 to require a two-year moratorium on new coal plants, to allow for time for the state “to adopt an integrated energy plan for this state that provides for this state’s electricity generation needs, protects the health and safety of the residents of this state, and protects the products produced in this state”.
A recent report from Environment Texas showed that improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy could reduce emissions by almost 20% by 2020.
Environment Texas pointed to legislation such as SB 12 (Averitt), which would offset the projected growth in electricity demand by 20% by establishing efficiency standards for ten appliances, as the kinds of steps Texas can take to avoid the need for any new coal plants.
“Energy efficiency is half the cost of coal plants, can be implemented in a fraction of time and has none of the pollution,” concluded Metzger.
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