Clean Energy - If not now, When?

Open Letter to Xcel Energy Inc.

Richard Kelly, CEO
Xcel Energy Inc.
414 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis , MN 55401-1993

Subject: Proposed Coal-fired Plant on Lower Chippewa River

Dear Mr. Kelly:

We are delighted to hear that the U.S. Department of Energy has once again ranked Xcel Energy Inc. as the leader in total number of customer participants in renewable energy programs.

Locally, Xcel's leadership and environmental sensitivity over the past 25 years has helped make the Lower Chippewa River the most significant of Wisconsin's state natural areas. We have been particularly pleased with Xcel's active cooperation with the public and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to implement conservation measures during the dam re-licensing period for the Lower Chippewa River. A recent example of Xcel's exemplary stewardship in this region was your enrollment in the Important Bird Area program for the Tyrone site, recognizing the Lower Chippewa River Greenway is the number one bird habitat in the state with the largest contiguous floodplain forest in the entire upper Midwest.

Given Xcel's past environmental efforts we feel obligated to write to you about our concerns regarding the proposed 750 megawatt coal-burning power plant on the Tyrone site of the Lower Chippewa River. This initial plan sends mixed signals in light of the hard work done to preserve the region. By any measure, the Lower Chippewa River Greenway is one of the most ecologically rich and diverse regions in the state, and it has been an ongoing conservation project involving millions of dollars of taxpayers money, efforts of citizens, private property owners, businesses, and the DNR. Thousands of citizens have been actively involved in what has culminated in 16,000 acres of land purchases and acquisitions in an area spanning 312,000 acres in 24 townships within four counties.

Thousands of residents and visitors come to the Lower Chippewa River Greenway year-round to bike, hunt, ski, canoe, and fish in this large swath of pristine green space. Beyond recreational value, the region is a center for education and research with its location between two large public universities in the nearby cities of Menomonie and Eau Claire. It is also a great place to live, and the rural housing construction is a vibrant sector of this region's economy as retirees and e-commuters choose to reside in this eco-zone of rich environmental resources, open space and clean air.

The sheer industrial presence of a 750 megawatt coal power plant, or several such plants at this location, would be incongruous with the Lower Chippewa River State Natural Area. Given there is no infrastructure in place to support transport and storage of coal, and any operation would severely and negatively impact water systems, we have serious concern with Xcel's proposal. Even if the most advanced scrubbers are used to avert heavy air pollution, the onerous sludge material would likely stay on site to vent in open air. Extensive research has shown coal plants contribute heavily to global climate change, mercury contamination of fish and inland waterways, particulates that irritate asthma sufferers, acid rain and smog. Whatever the sophistication of coal power plants, coal combustion remains at the unhealthiest end of the energy producing spectrum, and a 19th century technology.

Environmental Protection Agency consultants have estimated that fine particle pollution from power plants cause early death for 474 Wisconsinites, 492 hospitalizations, 11,949 asthma attacks and 69,212 lost work days in Wisconsin every year. Within the electric power industry, coal-fired plants generate 97% of deadly fine particle soot and sulfur dioxide emissions, 92% of smog-forming nitrogen oxide emissions, 86% of emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary global warming pollutant; and almost 100% of toxic mercury emissions. The State of Wisconsin has advised children and women of childbearing age against consuming large fish from all of its lakes and from 192 miles of its rivers due to the risks of mercury contamination.  The developing fetus is about five-to-ten times more susceptible to mercury toxicity than an adult.  Mercury pollution puts Wisconsin waters, public health and tourism dollars at risk.

The most immediate alternative to coal is natural gas, but that is not suitable for the Lower Chippewa River either because the fuel may not be cost competitive in the years to come. The true alternative is energy efficiency and renewable resources – solar, hydro, wind, biomass, methane, etc. – sustainable energy that would be a great fit in such a green area. Given the DNR's potential interest in purchasing the land at the Tyrone site for future conservation purposes (possibly for a State Park), a land exchange program could offer Xcel the opportunity to work closely with local communities in producing sustainable energy that will spur not only economic development but also create quality high-paying jobs.

Coal power is not conducive to the new energy strategy that will adequately address the global warming problem, that strategy being producing renewable and sustainable energy on the local level. State and national politicians have been exhorting the benefits of renewable energy and have enacted legislation to move in that direction. In early March of this year, Wisconsin state legislators unanimously passed the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Act (SB 459), a bill that encourages the development of renewable energy by requiring that 10% of energy produced in Wisconsin come from renewable sources by 2015.

We feel very strongly that a coal-burning power plant is not appropriate for this site located in the heart of a treasured state natural area, and we implore Xcel not to miss this opportunity to work with the Chippewa Valley and the state of Wisconsin to create a more sustainable strategy for our region's energy future. We write this letter with the hope that Xcel will remove the Tyrone site from your plans for a coal plant and instead devote the site to the continued conservation efforts of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Should you choose to continue with plans for one or several coal-fired power plants at the Tyrone site, we will vigorously resist this effort. You would be served well to revisit the history of this location and the intense public opposition spawned by your company's earlier efforts to build a nuclear generating station here in the 1970's.  Many of the people involved with that issue still reside in this area and remain strongly committed to environmental protection. 

We ask you, instead, to work with us.    

Sincerely,

Chippewa Valley Sustainable Energy Association