Groups join to protest power plant plans

[4dsc]

This group does present an interesting question about whether or not Gov. Culver has the power to stop these coal fired plants from being built..

A pair of environmental groups from Waterloo and Marshalltown will gather in Des Moines this afternoon to urge Gov. Chet Culver to place a moratorium on construction of coal-fired power plants in Iowa.

Both cities have proposals to build coal-fired plants on the table, and both projects have come under scrutiny from environmental groups. LS Power has proposed a 750-meagwatt plant in Waterloo, and Alliant Energy has proposed a 660-megawatt plant in Marshalltown.

Today’s protest is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. in the west wing of the first floor rotunda of the State Capitol.


http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/03/18/news/latest_news/c79a213ff3485a438625741000527c2c.txt

[progressoid]

1. Apparently the decision has been postponed until May...

http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/503813.html?nav=5005

The Iowa Utilities Board’s anticipated decision on whether to allow Alliant Energy to build a new coal-fired power plant in Marshalltown has been pushed off until May, according to the state agency’s Web site.

The three-person board had originally projected it could make up its mind by this month, according to information on its Web site immediately following January’s week-long regulatory hearing on the proposal.

That projection was later altered to sometime in April and now is slated for May.

Being on this side of the state we don't get all the poop on this stuff from our local media so I'm not completely up to speed on this. However, I find it sad that we talk about green energy, but when push comes to shove the easy (and less-green) route is taken.

[Vet31203]

2. Im a little sad too

Iowa is one of the most progressive states in the midwest, its a shame that we dont always act like it.
But than again we could use a little more of a majority in the legislature.