Illinois: New coal-fired power plant fuels debate

[phantom power]

MARISSA, Ill. — On a clear December morning, drivers traveling south on state Route 4 in southwest Illinois can see the Prairie State Energy Campus' stack rising 700 feet above the surrounding corn fields — 70 feet taller than the Gateway Arch.

The scope of project is even more striking once on site. The hulking plant will consume more than 50,000 tons of structural steel, 15,000 tons of steel rebar and 160,000 cubic yards of concrete. It is surrounded by more than a dozen tower cranes, their jibs reaching skyward.

...

Critics argue the plant, which will be the second-largest coal-fired power plant in Illinois, will pump an estimated 10 million tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere each year for decades to come at the very time many scientists are urging immediate action to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases.


On the other hand, the project is providing jobs for 2,500 people — a fact that's evident by the sea of cars and pickups sprawled across two massive parking lots on site.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/2348C14F38D7FAB8862576A200102815?OpenDocument

[MercutioATC]

1. Is there a reason we're not building natural gas plants instead of coal plants?

We have the world's largest coal reserves...but we also have the largest natural gas reserves, and gas burns cleaner.

[endless october]

2. no thanks. i'm paying enough for natural gas heat already.

build nukes, wind, and solar.

[jb2u11]

3. Natural gas is not as cheap

Further the supply and price of natural gas can fluctuate greatly making it a less viable source of energy at this point. Coal is by far the cheapest and most abundant source of energy though I suspect with more drilling natural gas could become a close competitor in the years ahead. However the govenment is making it difficult to do more drilling.

With all of the C02 we are spewing I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't go back to building more nuclear plants?

[MercutioATC]

4. Gotcha. Thanks.

[madokie]

8. If we're going to be burning coal for our electric

we at least need to use a gasifier to do it with.

I found this interesting
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007427.html&h=400&w=311&sz=93&tbnid=rIhH8UzFO_KdTM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgasifier&hl=en&usg=__izYhLv2GKN7FSzEPm-MXg8shanU=&ei=D5lES6uUEYXTlAePksGdBw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=5&ct=image&ved=0CCkQ9QEwBA

Add link http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/gasification/index.html

[wtmusic]

5. The environment is important, but we gotta have jobs.

:sarcasm:

[Nihil]

6. Damn glad about this "Change" we've been seeing ...

Hmmm ... wasn't there some politician that used to come from
up Illinois way ...?

:shrug:

[madokie]

9. Ah yes

:hi:

[Dead_Parrot]

7. I'm too old for this shit

10 points to the first person who can name the film.

[Nihil]

10. Lethal Weapon II / III / IV

Does that make 30 pints then?
:-)

Oh, damn, you said "points" ...