Tag: coal

Summertime Smog

As summertime temperatures go up, so does our need for air conditioning.
But with much of our electricity coming from coal plants, this also
increases smog levels. As Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Suzanne
Elston points out, the coming deregulation of the electricity industry may
provide us with some relief.

Wind Power Expands With Deregulation

According to the Worldwatch Institute, wind power is the fastest
growing energy source in the world – growing at an annual rate of 22%.
Here in the U-S, the Midwest accounted for most of this country’s wind
energy growth. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Hammond reports
that energy deregulation is fueling much of this development:

States Act on Energy Deregulation (Part 1)

So far nearly two dozen states have tackled the difficult task of
deregulating their electric industries. California was the first to
approve it, and its residential and commercial users choose their
electric suppliers. Ohio is the most recent state to deregulate. It
took two years for the Buckeye state legislature to come to agreement.
Though each state’s experience is different, there are some common
threads. In the first of a two part series, the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Ley Garnett looks at three Great Lakes states (Illinois,
Ohio and Pennsylvania) where deregulation is taking root:

Nuclear Power Looks to Redefine Itself (Part 2)

More than 20 states have now approved some version of electric
deregulation and the new laws have set off a wave of changes within the
electric industry. Though this industry has always deeply affected the
natural environment, deregulation is bringing a new set of wild cards to
the table. It may provide one industry, nuclear power, the chance to
redefine itself. In the second of a two part series on deregulation,
the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Ley Garnett reports that conservation
groups and industry officials are just now beginning to sort out what it
all means:

City Protects Itself From Deregulation

As the electric utility industry moves toward deregulation, many people
wonder whether cheap electricity will mean dirty electricity. But now,
one mid-western city has taken a unique approach to protect itself from
the deregulated market. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David
Hammond reports:

Mercury Emissions Hit the ‘Net’

The U-S Environmental Protection Agency will soon require some coal-burning power plants to report how much mercury their smokestacks are emitting. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports that the E-P-A will post the information on the Internet:

The Cost of Cheap Electricity

Concern about the environmental impacts of deregulating the electricitymarket have taken a back seat to promises of cheaper power and customerchoice on both sides of the border. But, as Great Lakes RadioConsortium Commentator Suzanne Elston has discovered, proponents ofgreen power just got a very strong ally:

Court Decision Gives Renewable Energy a Boost

Coal fired power plants produce two-thirds of the nation’s electricity. In the process, they emit millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. But a recent court decision in Minnesota may provide an incentive to embrace cleaner energy sources. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel has more:

Commentary – Polluter Pays

The Federal Clean Air Act requires businesses that emit certain air pollutants to cover the costs of regulating that pollution at the state level. It’s designed to be a market-based approach which theoretically, should give polluters a fiscal incentive to reduce their emissions. But Great Lakes Radio Consortium Commentator Lana Pollack says that not all businesses are paying their fair share: