Green Daily

Reps. Henry Waxman and Ed Markey recently introduced H.R. 5575, the "Moratorium on Uncontrolled Power Plants Act."

The bill would prohibit the construction of any new coal-fired power plants unless the power plant used "state-of-the-art control technology to capture and permanently sequester carbon dioxide emissions..."

According to a Waxman press release, "It's important for ratepayers and regulators to understand the financial risks if their power company wants to build a new uncontrolled coal-fired power plant. Those plants will be a lot more expensive to operate when global warming pollution is regulated. Ratepayers need to make sure they won't be stuck with the bill."


Coal plants are still big business in the U.S., despite dire warnings from scientists like NASA's James Hansen. In testimony before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Dr. Hansen said that the "most critical action for saving the planet at this time, I believe, is to prevent construction of additional coal-fired power plants without CO₂ capture capability. As governments around the world, not only in the United States, China and India, fail to appreciate this situation, it is important that citizens draw attention to the issue."

Oh, and if Dr. Hansen's name sound vaguely familiar, it might be because of all the media coverage he's received in recent years. You can listen to an NPR interview in which Dr. Hansen – preeminent scientist and director oft the Goddard Center – describes the Bush administration's attempt to muzzle him. The (not very effective) muzzle came in the form of George Deutsch, a 20-something (former) PR flack at NASA. If you're interested in the whole sordid tale, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigated the matter in March 2007.

If you're interested to know if there is a coal-fired power plant proposal in your state – and there are more than 100 pending -- Coal Moritorium Now! has published a comprehensive list of all the pending project proposals with information on how to contact local watchdog groups.