- EC - lists.cheatlakeclear.org

Re: [EC] Important development in Mingo TransGas
by James Kotcon 20 Mar '09

20 Mar '09

--- On Wed, 3/18/09, James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> wrote: From: James Kotcon <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu> Subject: Re: Important development in Mingo TransGas To: Andrea.Issod(a)sierraclub.org, bill.price(a)sierraclub.org, glen.hooks(a)sierraclub.org, tim.guilfoile(a)sierraclub.org, jkotcon(a)wvu.edu, jim_scon(a)yahoo.com Cc: emily.ulmer(a)sierraclub.org, Pat.Gallagher(a)sierraclub.org Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 4:07 PM Please note that HB 3081 was introduced in the WV Legislature on March 11. It would exempt the first "Coal-To-Liquid" facility in the state that produces at least 30,000 barrels per day from corporate net income tax for four years, exempts severance taxes on the coal mined for such a plant, and guarantees that the State would purchase all of the gasoline or diesel fuel from such a plant for four years "at the price of $2.25 per gallon or at a competitive rate as deemed by the state". Sponsors are Delegates McGeehan, Kominar, Moore, Boggs, Armstead, Shott, and Shook. The good news is that none of these guys are high up in the leadership, so we have a chance to kill it. Start pouring in those letters and phone calls. Jim Kotcon >>> Sent by <Andrea.Issod(a)sierraclub.org> 3/18/2009 3:49 PM >>> Emily just learned from WV DAQ engineer Joe Kessler that TransGas is trying to get its Mingo plant permitted as a minor source. A minor source is not subject to Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements to use Best Available Control Technology (BACT) to set emission limits, and it does not have to perform any air quality analysis. Thats right, they are saying they are not requiring any modeling from this monster. The reason we're given is because it's using a new process called Methanol To Gas (MTG) instead of the more common Fischer-Trope process. Where Fischer-Trope generates a lot of excess tailgas that must be disposed of through flaring (burning it up), they say the MTG process is more efficient because the off-gas from the process is continually re-circulated and emissions are thus much reduced. We have retained an engineer to look at the application to advise us the best arguments to submit to DAQ on why this should be treated as a major source. Hopefully we will have those comments into DAQ in the next few weeks before any further permitting activity -- and you all can do some organizing and press about these. You all might want to contact the DAQ about this issue and express that all similar sources are treated as major sources, demand more information, etc. Definitely let us know what you find Joe Kessler, PE Engineer West Virginia Division of Air Quality Phone: (304) 926-0499 x1219 Joseph.r.kessler(a)wv.gov Also, last month we requested certain information that TransGas marked as confidential in the application and the company has finally responded that it will release some of this information. We'll send out when we get it. Best, Andrea Issod Staff Attorney Sierra Club Environmental Law Program 85 Second Street, 2d Floor San Francisco, CA 94105-3441 Phone: (415) 977-5544 Fax: (415) 977-5793 CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL COMMUNICATION/WORK PRODUCT This e-mail may contain privileged and confidential attorney-client communications and/or attorney work product. If you receive this e-mail inadvertently, please reply to the sender and delete all versions on your system. Thank you.

1 0

[Fwd: Re: [fom] Big hearing on MTR on Monday]
by Regina Hendrix 19 Mar '09

19 Mar '09

Could this be the beginning of the end?

1 0

Fwd: FYI: Electric Transmission Line Sign on letter
by Paul Wilson 18 Mar '09

18 Mar '09

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Glen Besa <glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 11:23 PM Subject: FYI: Electric Transmission Line Sign on letter To: Elena.Saxonhouse(a)sierraclub.org, Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>, dave o'leary <daveol(a)earthlink.net>, ghookssc(a)earthlink.net, glenbesasc(a)earthlink.net, jkotcon(a)wvu.edu, rmarmet(a)pecva.org, sbruckner(a)cox.net, Robin Mann <robinmann(a)earthlink.net> See attached letter that Sierra Club signed on to. Glen Besa, Chapter Director Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter 422 East Franklin Street, Suite 302 Richmond, VA 23219 O-804-225-9113 x 104 F-804-225-9114 C-804-387-6001 glen.besa(a)sierraclub.org If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -- Margaret Fuller -----Original Message----- From: State Directors [mailto:CONS-MARVIN@LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG] On Behalf Of Paula Carrell Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 2:37 PM To: CONS-MARVIN(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Subject: Electric Transmission Line Issues Marvins: I think that a number of you have been/are dealing with new Transmission line issues, and the Club's (nuanced) policy on construction of new lines (sort of "YES--or sometimes NO-- but . . ." ) has not been all that clear. I hope the attached multi-org letter will help a bit to clarify where we are and what we want. Whether we can get what we want -- sequencing of policy adoption at the federal level is critical and difficult -- is another question. paula (See attached file: Browner transmission letter FINAL.pdf) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-MARVIN list, send any message to: CONS-MARVIN-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha

1 0

Fw: Summary of the latest science on the climate catastrophe
by Jim Sconyers 14 Mar '09

14 Mar '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Sat, 3/14/09, Jim Stewart <Jim(a)EARTHDAYLA.ORG> wrote: From: Jim Stewart <Jim(a)EARTHDAYLA.ORG> Subject: Summary of the latest science on the climate catastrophe To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Saturday, March 14, 2009, 3:48 PM Summary of the latest science on the climate catastropheDear Team, Attached are important articles (plus a link at bottom of this email to a 3-minute audio tape) summarizing the results of the emergency gathering of 2500 climate scientists from around the world March 10-12, 2009, in Copenhagen. Key points and links are provided below. Carbon Output Must Near Zero To Avert Danger, New Studies Say By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, March 10, 2008; A01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/09/AR200803090… Key Messages from the Climate Congress 12 March 2009 http://climatecongress.ku.dk/newsroom/congress_key_messages/ - As a result of the acceleration of outlet glaciers over large regions, the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are already contributing more and faster to sea level rise than anticipated. - Recent observations confirm that, given high rates of observed emissions, the worst-case IPCC scenario trajectories (or even worse) are being realised. - Rapid, sustained, and effective mitigation based on coordinated global and regional action is required to avoid "dangerous climate change" regardless of how it is defined. Weaker targets for 2020 increase the risk of crossing tipping points and make the task of meeting 2050 targets more difficult. Delay in initiating effective mitigation actions increases significantly the long-term social and economic costs of both adaptation and mitigation. - A common but differentiated mitigation strategy is needed to protect the poor and most vulnerable. - There is no excuse for inaction. Fighting global warming offers growth and development opportunities -Leading economist proposes "Climate Marshall Plan" 12 March 2009. http://climatecongress.ku.dk/newsroom/mitigation_growth_development/ "There is some evidence that harder greenhouse gas targets and regulation may actually increase benefits through improved innovation and distribution of low carbon technologies, and increased revenues from taxes or permits. These revenues can be spent to further support new technology and to lower other indirect taxes, ensuring the fiscal neutrality of these measures", says Terry Barker, Director of Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research. Stern attacks politicians over climate 'devastation' * David Adam in Copenhagen, The Guardian, Friday 13 March 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/13/stern-attacks-politicians… Politicians have failed to take on board the severe consequences of failing to cut world carbon emissions, according to Nicholas Stern, the economist commissioned by Gordon Brown to analyse the impact of climate change. His stark warning about the potentially "devastating" consequences of global warming came as scientists issued a desperate plea last night for world leaders to curb greenhouse gas emissions or face an ecological and social disaster. Time to call it "Climate Breakdown" What's clear from Copenhagen is that policymakers have fallen behind the scientists: global warming is already catastrophic by George Monbiot, Thursday 12 March 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/12/climate-change-copenhag… The more we know, the grimmer it gets. Amazon could shrink by 85% due to climate change, scientists say - Scientists say 4C rise would kill 85% of the Amazon rainforest. - Even modest temperature rise would see 20-40% loss within 100 years. * David Adam in Copenhagen, Wednesday 11 March 2009 14.34 GMT http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/11/amazon-global-warming-tre… Severe global warming will render half of world's inhabited areas unlivable, expert warns Parts of China, India and the eastern US could all become too warm (and humid) in summer for people to lose heat by sweating, expert warns. * David Adam in Copenhagen, Thursday 12 March 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/mar/12/global-warming-temp-rise-… Climate change warning: 'We're sick of having our messages lost in political noise' David Adam reports scientists' exasperation at the climate change conference, Audio (2min 45sec), 13 Mar 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/audio/2009/mar/13/climate-change-cope… More articles at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/copenhagen -- Jim Stewart, PhD, Co-chair Sierra Club California Climate-Energy Committee 213-487-9340 Fax: 310-362-8400 Cell: 213-820-4345 1216 S. Westlake Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90006-4118 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

1 0

new phone number
by Jim Sconyers 14 Mar '09

14 Mar '09

Hi folks - As of Monday 3/16/2009 I will have a new phone number. This will be my only number. 304-698-9628 Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.698.9628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last.

1 0

TRAILCO - PSC CASE NO 07-0508-E-CN -- CORRECTED SIERRA CLUB PETITION FOR SUSPENSION
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 14 Mar '09

14 Mar '09

I have attached to this email a copy of the Sierra Club's Petition for Suspension and Review which corrects six instances in which the date 2011 was incorrectly typed as 2001. Because it is impossible to mis-spell a date, spell check cannot catch this kind of mistake. Because the date is important for the merits of the petition I have corrected it. Corrected hard copies will be filed at the Supreme Court, served on adverse parties, and filed with the Commission. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience. -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel: 304-342-5588 Fax: 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

1 0

TRAILCO - CASE NO 07-0508-E-CN
by William DePaulo via YouSendIt 13 Mar '09

13 Mar '09

You have a priority delivery from YouSendIt I ATTACH THE SIERRA CLUB'S PETITION FOR SUSPENSION AND REVIEW OF THE AUG 1 08 AND FEB 13 09 ORDERS,<wbr /> AND RELATED DOCUMENTS, FILED TODAY WITH THE PSC AND THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS.<br /> <br<wbr /> /> WILLIAM V. DEPAULO Click here to download file: https://rcpt.yousendit.com/663636387/479a28cc198194016eef22cfa3d0fea7 Sent by: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com File to pick up: 2009 Mar 13 12:33 upload File will remain active for: 14 days File too big for email? Try at http://www.yousendit.com YouSendIt Inc. : http://www.yousendit.com Terms of Service: http://www.yousendit.com/cms/termsofservice Privacy Policy : http://www.yousendit.com/cms/privacypolicy DMCA Policy: http://www.yousendit.com/cms/dmca Opt Out: http://www.yousendit.com/blocking.php?action=optout&email=EC@osenergy.org&k…

1 0

Fw: drafts for two new Activist Network Teams: comments and core team nominations welcome
by Jim Sconyers 13 Mar '09

13 Mar '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Fri, 3/13/09, Fred Heutte <phred(a)SUNLIGHTDATA.COM> wrote: From: Fred Heutte <phred(a)SUNLIGHTDATA.COM> Subject: drafts for two new Activist Network Teams: comments and core team nominations welcome To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Friday, March 13, 2009, 4:29 AM Dear all, We're now ready to move forward in setting up teams in the Activist Network to cover the broad issues of global warming and energy. After our conference call last month (thanks for all the great discussion) and a lot of consultation we are proposing not one but two new Activist Network teams: * Clean Technology Team The Clean Tech Team will primarily focus on technical assessment and presentation on important issues of interest to the Club and especially chapters, national campaigns and other teams. * Energy Chairs Team The Energy Chairs Team will help coordinate work at the chapter level and provide links and a voice to energy chairs and other volunteers at the national level. These are not mutually exclusive and will be able to coordinate their work. See below for further details. Each Team will have a core of 6 to 10 members who are responsible for team planning and oversight. Please nominate yourself or others if interested in being part of a core team -- we'll accept nominations received by next Monday, March 16 to phred(a)sunlightdata.com, with a short note indicating your interest and background and the team you are interested in. Further core team appointments may come later. We thank the CNRCC for their nominations which have already been received. Final recommendations will be made to the Activist Network Support Team when we submit the team charges next week. If you have questions or comments, please send them asap. regards, Fred on behalf of Global Warming & Energy Committee and members of the former Smart Energy Solutions CIC ================================================== Proposals for Clean Tech Team and Energy Chairs Team Drafts below as of: March 12, 2009 Will be finalized: March 16, 2009 Core team members (about 6 to 10) will be responsible for team planning and management. You do not need to be a member of the core team to participate in the team. Broad participation is strongly encouraged. Please send additional core team nominations to phred(a)sunlightdata.com by Monday, March 16 ================================================== DRAFT A: Clean Technology Team 1. What is your team's goal? The goal of the Clean Technology Team is: To broaden understanding of key technology opportunities and issues to create a sustainable, equitable and clean energy system and reduce the risks of climate change. 2. What is your team's purpose? * To inform Club activists, members, entities and the public with accurate and accessible information about important energy technology opportunities and issues. * To draw on the experience and knowledge of Club volunteers and staff alike to develop a full understanding of key energy technology issues. 3. What is the scope of your team's work? Regional? National? The scope of the team’s work is national and, in fact, international in that energy technology development, opportunities and problems occur globally, but the emphasis will be on technologies and issues directly affecting the US. The team can respond to requests for assessments from the National Board as well as setting out its own research agenda, and will coordinate with the national campaigns and other Club entities, including the Energy Chairs Team. 4. What have you accomplished in 2008 and in the past few years? The immediate predecessor of this team was the Global Warming & Energy Committee. In addition to developing the Energy Resources Policy in 2006, which covered a complete spectrum of energy technologies, GWE also developed or participated in the Wind Resource Guidance, the national policy on Carbon Markets, CFL Guidelines, Biomass Guidance, the forthcoming Landfill-Gas-to-Energy policy, and consultations on numerous other issues involving technical and policy assessments. 5. What are you going to be working on in 2009? The first task will be setting a research agenda by identifying technologies and issues of interest, and selecting an initial set for study and reporting based on immediacy, impact and the availability of interest and expertise. 6. How can volunteers get involved? Tasks/opportunities for new volunteers: Provide questions on energy technologies that arise from work at the chapter or other level and would help advance that work. Identify local experts to assist with team assessment efforts. Distribute assessment results locally to inform Club members, the public and decision-makers about key energy opportunities and issues. Tasks/opportunities for experienced volunteers: Provide access to the team for new volunteers and general members. Help shape the research agenda and priorities. Provide own technical knowledge and experience. Distribute results widely through all available Club communication methods and entities. Tasks/opportunities for leaders: Organize and manage the team. Insure access and accountability to chapter and other volunteers, other Club entities, the Activist Network Support Team and the National Board. Set a research agenda, assign subteams and tasks, and shape reports and other outcomes. Establish a budget and seek funding. Seek assistance from outside scientists and other professionals, and links to outside technical groups and organizations. 7. What resources does your team want to share and/or develop? Driven by needs expressed by other Club entities, particularly chapters, campaigns and the National Board. 8. Who is on your core team? Core team members are: Paul Craig, CA David Reister, TN Dick Ball, VA Dick Fiddler, WA [others TBA, please send nominations to phred(a)sunlightdata.com by Monday, March 16] 9. Notes and Questions ================================================== DRAFT B: Energy Chairs Team 1. What is your team's goal? The goal of the Energy Chairs Team is: To strengthen chapter energy and global warming research, education, activism and organizing and contribute to the Sierra Club’s overall effort to create a sustainable, equitable and clean energy system and reduce the risks of climate change. 2. What is your team's purpose? * To assist chapter Energy Chairs by providing information, access to expertise, a sounding board and a communications path to coordinate efforts across chapters. * To give Energy Chairs an arena to discuss issues and communicate views and concerns to other Club entities including the National Board, chapters, national campaigns and other Activist Network teams. * To provide a venue for other Club volunteers and staff to interact with and provide assistance to Energy Chairs. 3. What is the scope of your team's work? Regional? National? The scope of the team’s work is national but organized to focus on chapter level activities. 4. What have you accomplished in 2008 and in the past few years? The predecessors of this team were the Global Warming & Energy Committee (GWE) and Smart Energy Solutions Conservation Initiative Committee (SESCIC). Those national committees provided information, funded specific projects and in other ways assisted chapter energy and global warming efforts. GWE launched the Energy Chairs Task Force to gain advice on these issues, and established the Energy Chairs listserv which continues to function. SESCIC provided funding and technical assistance for many chapter energy and global warming related projects in 2005-2008. 5. What are you going to be working on in 2009? To be determined. Initial efforts will focus on organizing the team and setting an initial agenda of topics to consider that would assist chapter energy and global warming efforts. Some work can be coordinated with the Energy Technology Team. 6. How can volunteers get involved? Tasks/opportunities for new volunteers: Provide questions on energy issues that arise from work at the chapter level and would help advance that work. Learn about key energy and global warming issues, policies and technologies. Identify local experts to assist with team efforts. Assist Energy Chairs in working with chapters to disseminate information and resources. Team involvement can be a ladder of engagement for new volunteers to become Energy Chairs in their chapters. Tasks/opportunities for experienced volunteers: Many experienced volunteers will be Energy Chairs or serve similar chapter functions. Provide access to the team for new volunteers and general members. Help shape the team agenda and priorities. Provide own technical knowledge and experience. Distribute results widely through all available Club communication methods and entities. Help develop and shape chapter energy and global warming efforts. Tasks/opportunities for leaders: Organize and manage the team. Insure access and accountability to chapter and other volunteers, other Club entities, the Activist Network Support Team and the National Board. Set an agenda, assign subteams and tasks, and shape reports and other outcomes. Establish a budget and seek funding. Seek assistance from other Club entities, including the Energy Technology Team. Coordinate with other areas of the Club working on forest, lands, transportation, environmental justice, fair trade, public involvement and governance issues. 7. What resources does your team want to share and/or develop? Driven by needs expressed by Energy Chairs and by other Club entities, particularly chapters. 8. Who is on your core team? Core team members are: Joan Saxe, ME Wallace McMullen, KY [others TBA, please send nominations to phred(a)sunlightdata.com by Monday, March 16] 9. Notes and Questions - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

1 0

[Fwd: FW: Full story and slideshow onColumbus Dispatch]
by Regina Hendrix 10 Mar '09

10 Mar '09

FYI. A part of this story ran on the front page of the Gazette this A.M. Regina

1 0

Fwd: Welcome to new WVNS Producer!
by Paul Wilson 10 Mar '09

10 Mar '09

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Public NewsService Web Site <wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org> Date: Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 7:31 PM Subject: Welcome to new WVNS Producer! To: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com Hello, Friends! Please join us in welcoming Charleston-based Dan Heyman, as in "Hey, man..." to the WVNS team. You may not know that we've had to pry West Virginia out of Deb and Eric's hands becuase they really love working with you all! Dan is eager to get to know you all and your issues, and many of you may already know him. Our thanks to Steve White for making the connection. Dan's excited about the challenge of reporting on the environment, education, legislative issues and other topics he's been passionate about for years. After working for public broadcasting stations in West Virginia and Virginia for a decade, Dan has been freelancing for NPR, BBC, VOA, CBC, BBC Wales, PRI and Radio New Zealand among others. As a print reporter he's written stories for The Dallas Morning News, The Associated Press and numerous magazines. He is the West Virginia stringer for the New York Times. When not writing journalism, Dan is likely to be writing fiction. He's working on a novel, his third, and trying to interest theater companies in a play he wrote last year. . The WVNS email, fax and toll free numbers remain the same: Dan Heyman wvns(a)publicnewsservice.org 800-317-6705 toll free Fax: 540-301-0801 fax 304-344-1561 local 304-444-7160 cell As ever, please contact me with any questions or suggestions. Dan has the long-time local as well as national experience which is such an asset to our shared mission, and we're so lucky to have him on board! Enjoy! Many thanks/best regards, Lark Lark Corbeil Founder/Managing Editor West Virginia News Service/Public News Service 303-448-9105 lark(a)publicnewsservice.org www.publicnewsservice.org --- To be removed from this list please send an e-mail to remove(a)publicnewsservice.org and put the word "remove" in the subject line. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha

2 1

FW: STOP PATH rally program March 11/Charleston
by Grubb, Karen 06 Mar '09

06 Mar '09

Does anyone need a ride to E-Day and the PATH meeting in Charleston? -------------------------------------------------------------------- STOP PATH Event in Charleston March 11th In connection with the WV Environmental Council's annual E-day! events on March 11th, WV E-Council, WV Citizens Against PATH (CAP) and other organizations and interested individuals will be sponsoring a late afternoon rally and informational meeting in opposition to the proposed PATH electricity transmission line. PATH is an acronym for Potomac-Allegheny Transmission Highline. PATH is a proposed joint venture between American Electric Power Company (AEP) of Columbus, Ohio and Allegheny Energy Company of Greensburg, PA. PATH, if approved by regulatory agencies and constructed, would be a giant 765 Kilovolt electrical power transmission line that would run 290 miles from AEP's John Amos power plant substation near St. Albans, W.Va., to a new substation near Frederick, MD. PATH would include a right-of-way swath 200 feet wide through farms and forests and other public and private properties, across up to a dozen or more WV counties, and through the state's eastern panhandle into Virginia and Maryland. The apparent purpose of PATH is to transfer coal fueled electricity from the Ohio Valley to eastern cities near the Atlantic coast. Strong local citizen opposition to PATH has developed over several months, with STOP PATH rallies and informational meetings held or soon to be held in almost every county through which PATH would pass. The STOP PATH rally in Charleston on E-day! will be held at the same location as the WVEC E-day! dinner and awards ceremony- at the Charleston Women's Club at the corner of Elizabeth Street and Virginia Street East, less than two blocks from the state capital building. The E-day! Charleston STOP PATH rally will be held from 3:30 PM until 5:00 or 5:15 PM. So if you would like to learn how to effectively work to STOP PATH, get a STOP PATH yard sign, or just learn more about PATH, then attend the STOP PATH rally at 3:30 Wednesday. We will talk about things like petitions against PATH, writing letters to the WV Public Service Commission (PSC) about PATH, and about how individuals and / or organizations can become an actual legally opposing party, called an intervener, once the PATH application is actually filed at the PSC. WV Citizens Against PATH will have a STOP PATH informational table in the capital building rotunda on E-day, with maps, signature petitions against PATH and other information. For further information or to offer to help with the Charleston STOP PATH rally, contact Frank Young, e-mail fyoung(a)mountain.net, or by telephone 304-372-3945.

1 0

Fw: [CCL] 2 draft policies open for comment on Clubhouse
by Jim Sconyers 04 Mar '09

04 Mar '09

FYI Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Wed, 3/4/09, Tina Schulstad <tinas715(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Tina Schulstad <tinas715(a)yahoo.com> Subject: [CCL] 2 draft policies open for comment on Clubhouse To: CCL-DELEGATES(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 11:50 AM On the Clubhouse website, 2 draft policies have now been posted that are requesting comments from Sierra Club members. Please see these policies yourself and be sure to forward them to your Chapters so they can participate. Thanks. Tina General clubhouse announcement: http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/ Specific link to Business Partnerships Draft Policy: http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/administration/policies/business-partnershi… Specific link to Landfill-Gas-to-Energy Draft Policy: http://clubhouse.sierraclub.org/conservation/policy/landfill-gas.aspx - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CCL-DELEGATES list, send any message to: CCL-DELEGATES-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

1 0

FW: [wvec-board] Capitol Power Plant -- Judy, Elisa, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.- with thousands of others
by Grubb, Karen 03 Mar '09

03 Mar '09

From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of cindyrank Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 7:43 AM To: fom(a)lists.riseup.net Cc: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com; WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: [wvec-board] Capitol Power Plant -- Judy, Elisa, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.- with thousands of others WATERKEEPERS FORWARDED THIS LAST NIGHT --- ________________________________ The Huffington Post Posted March 2, 2009 | 11:05 AM (EST) Dirty Coal Has Left the Building: Live Blog from DC <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/dirty-coal-has-left-the-b_b_ 171060.html> by Jeff Biggers (Updates will appear all day from the Capitol Climate Action in Washington, DC.) UPDATE 5:15 EST The Capitol Power Plant's days of coal are over. It's been the waiting game here: Since 2pm, over 2,000 activists have blockaded the three main gates to the Capitol Power Plant. The rather larger police turnout is impressive; clad in their best stocking caps, they dot the chain fence like lamp-posts, taking in the gregarious march with a bit of interest and fascination. No attempt at any arrest has been made. The crowd is controlled and peaceful; there is a festive atmosphere, young and old, all bundled up and dancing to keep warm on this crystal clear but chilly afternoon. The only clouds now, in this blue sky, are the coal-fired ones billowing from the Capitol plant. At 5pm, the Capitol Climate Action hailed the historic action a victory and dispersed. No arrests were made. It has been a fascinating and powerful day. Communities from across the country have come together in an amazing arm-to-arm support on the picket line. On stage in front of the main gate, tribal members from Michigan, New Mexico and Arizona have testified to the disastrous impact of coal mining in their communities, and coal-fired waste and mercury emissions in their water. Robert Kennedy, Jr., with his son and daughter at his side, made an impassioned case against the criminal elements of mountaintop removal policies and poorly enforced environmental abuse by willing coal companies. Kennedy recalled his own father's campaign to help end strip mining in the 1960s, citing the ultimate effect of mining on destroying local economies and the union movement. Kennedy called on Capitol Hill to recognize the "true costs of coal." Kennedy was hopeful, though, saying a "sea-change" had occurred with the new Obama administration. Kennedy, like all protesters, readied themselves for arrest. The End of Nature author Bill McKibben declared he had been waiting 20 years for this moment, dating back to his groundbreaking book on climate change. A series of chants of 350--the silver bullet number of parts per million of CO2--erupted. Kathy Mattea, the Grammy-award singer, beautiful weaved an old Jean Ritchie song, Blackwater, with other Appalachian ballads on coal. Judy Bonds, whose Coal River Mountain in West Virginia is literally being detonated daily by explosives, told the crowd: "I don't mind being poor, I don't mind being made fun of, but I do mind being blasted and poisoned." Dr. James Hansen called on the Obama administration and the nation's legislators to look at the root cause of climate destabilization, and reminded the crowd of the urgency of the moment. Hansen sounded the alarm on CO2 emissions over 25 years ago. Only steps away from actress Daryl Hannah, the legendary Larry Gibson, who has spent 25 years on a journey to stop mountaintop removal along his home of Kayford Mountain in West Virginia, has been standing on the line of arrest for hours. Like McKibben, this historic moment has been long in waiting. When Gibson began his crusade to end mountaintop removal two decades ago, he recalled barely being able to draw a crowd of two. While the coal industry may have invested over $40 million dollars in fictitious "clean coal" ads, the stunning array of banners and placards---Clean Coal is Like Dry Water, Coal is the Mother's Liver, Topless Mountains Are Obscene, Coal is Dirty, Power Past Coal--drove home the dirty reality of coal and coal-fired plants today. Dirty coal has indeed left the Capitol Power Plant. See you at Cliffside in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 20th for the next coal-fired plant to retire. UPDATE 1pm EST 12:55 pm EST Spirit of Justice Park Contingents of marchers are gathering in the park just to the south of the Capitol, a few blocks from the Capitol Power Plant. A long line of hundreds of younger marchers have just entered from the Powershift rally at the Capitol building. Dividing into four banner areas, Red (Power), Blue (Change), Green (Justice), and Yellow, the activists are chanting "Clean Coal is a Dirty Lie," among other chants. It's an energetic crowd, on a very windy and cold day, though the sun keeps attempting to break through the clouds. Ahjani Yepa-Sprague, from the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, in Michigan, is handing out a statement that declares: "Mercury from coal-fired power plants, like this one, are of special concern to children and women of childbearing age like myself...Tribal lifeways have had to be altered because of the existing mercury in lakes and streams in Michigan....Tribal communities in Michigan and around the world are threatened by the pollution and harms caused by coal plants." Cassie Robinson, a young activist from eastern Kentucky with Mountain Justice, told me she has traveled to Washington to draw attention to climate change, the destruction of her communities from mountaintop removal, and an increasing concern about the problems of natural gas development in Appalachia, an issue often overlooked. Carl "Pete" Ramey, a great-grandfather from Wise County, Virginia, and VFW chaplain, who spent 37 years laboring in an underground mine, has just read an opening prayer: "Is faith asleep? Let it wake. Today is ours. Let's take it." Addressing the largely young crowd, Ramey recalled his increasing activism with the environmental movement after witnessing the impact of mountaintop removal in his region. "I'm inspired by these children." Author Bill McKibben held down the corner of the park with plenty of media cameras. He declared simply: "Coal is killing the planet. Green energy is going to drive us out of this recession." Kentucky farmer-poet Wendell Berry has arrived, stocking cap afixed, bracing in the cold wind as a crowd of young admirers swelled around him. The Capitol Power Plant action is set to begin in the next 30 minutes or so. 11am EST The great snow storm has passed. The clouds are parting. The sun is breaking through. Those tiny ripples of hope, that Robert Kennedy once invoked, are beginning to gather near Capitol Hill. The Capitol Power Plant: It was built at the same time the first Ford Model T cars rolled onto the streets. A century later, the Capitol plant will finally end its use of coal in the age of the iPhone and Blackberry. There's a new era in Washington, DC--a clean energy era. And with an Obama administration that wants to double our renewable energy production in three years, and has called for cap 'n trade legislation to limit carbon emissions, thousands of clean energy and coalfield activists are converging on the snow-swept streets of Washington, DC today to remind Capitol Hill that a growing and incredibly organized movement is ready to make this new clean energy era a reality. The Capitol Climate Action today is more than a historic protest against coal, coal-fired plants and their role in climate change. It's a celebration of a road map to end our dependence on our nation's dirtiest fossil fuel. For up-to-date information, see: capitolclimateaction.org The denials of coal's dirty past are over: Thousands of citizens are prepared to engage in civil disobedience at the Capitol Power Plant today to make clear the sense of urgency in dealing with climate change legislation and policy in an effective and timely manner. In anticipation of this first mass act of civil disobedience in our nation's history around climate change, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have asked the Acting Architect of the Capitol to end the use of coal at the Capitol plant as "an important demonstration of Congress' willingness to deal with the enormous challenges of global warming, energy independence and our inefficient use of finite fossil fuels." That's one small step for Congress; one giant leap for the nation, if we continue to retire the oldest and dirtiest coal-fired plants at a similar pace. In the meantime, at the other 635 coal-fired plants, over 40 percent of our nation's carbon dioxide emissions continue to erupt from electricity plant silos like as silent volcanoes of death. The urgency of this movement rings with a new message: We all live in the coalfields now. At the historic Powershift09 conference this weekend in Washington, DC, where over 12,000 students and clean energy activists gathered for a whirlwind of panels, workshops and speeches, scores of experts and community organizers in coal mining and coal-fired plant areas provided some dramatic backstory to the growing movement against climate destabilization. Elisa Young, a farm resident from Meigs County, spoke about the spike in cancer and asthma in an area beset with five coal-fired plants in southern Ohio. According to one recent study, men in Meigs County have the lowest life expectancy rate in the state. Judy Bonds, from the Coal River Mountain Watch in West Virginia, showed how near 500 mountains in central Appalachia have been toppled into the valleys, as part of mountaintop removal mining, wiping out 1,200 miles of streams, depopulating and ruining historic mountain hamlets and economies, and contaminating watersheds. The human costs of mountaintop removal have emerged as the most egregious violation of human rights in the region in our lifetimes. Chris Martin, a student from Tennessee, reminded the audience that the TVA coal ash leakages in his area last December brought out the fact that more than half of our nation's population and their water sources rest within a half hour drive of an unregulated coal ash pond and potential catastrophe. According to the American Lung Association, 24,000 Americans die prematurely from coal-fired plant pollution each year. Another 550,000 asthma attacks, 38,000 heart attacks and 12,000 hospital admissions are also attributed to coal-fired plants. In 1895, newspapers ran ads for smoke-free "clean coal" in Chicago, as the boom in coal-fired plant electricity was about to launch a new era. Over a century later, those same "clean coal" ads are still running, and the dirty coal denials are taking place. The convergence on the Capitol Power Plant in Washington, DC, marks a new era in confronting these denials. While applauding President Barack Obama's commitment renewable energy, coalfield activists and clean energy advocates are directly addressing a president still beholden to the chimera of "clean coal," it's devastating extraction counterparts and dirty coal's underlining role in the silent tsunami of climate destabilization. For those suffering the consequence of dirty coal's legacy, the time has arrived to put an end to the "clean coal" scams of the coal lobby, which not only jeopardize any efforts to pass effective climate legislation before the world climate change conference in Copenhagen in December, but continue the devastation of coal mining in Appalachia, the Midwest and the West. "What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future," Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the UN's International Panel on Climate Change, has declared. It's time for dirty coal to leave the building. Jeff Biggers is the author of The United States of Appalachia, and the forthcoming book, Reckoning at Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland (The Nation/Basic Books).

1 0

Fwd: Fw: Realtors Survey shows strong public support for Transit
by James Kotcon 02 Mar '09

02 Mar '09

Perhaps our political leaders need to get the message. JBK >>> Paula Carrell <Paula.Carrell(a)sierraclub.org> 3/2/2009 3:10 PM >>> --------------------------- cc:Mail Users----------------------------- ** Remember to DELETE the 'Sender: ...' lines above before REPLYing ** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The National Association of Realtors just released the results of a survey of 1,005 Americans that shows very strong support for transit investment and for repairing and maintaining roads, and very weak support for building new roads. The survey also asked some questions specifically about economic stimulus legislation, and a strong majority believes that economic stimulus spending should look at long-term issues such as climate change and energy security rather than just focusing on short-term job creation. NAR did the survey in partnership with Transportation for America, a coalition that is advocating for a more sustainable approach in the transportation reauthorization bill that will be written later this year. This link takes you to the press release. http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2009/02/americans_agree_sma… ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To get off this list, send email to: LISTSERV(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Make the message text (not the Subject): SIGNOFF CONS-FRED

1 0

Fw: Please write DOE re: lamp standards
by Jim Sconyers 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

A simple but huge advance in energy savings... Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Sun, 3/1/09, Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)FUSE.NET> wrote: From: Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)FUSE.NET> Subject: Please write DOE re: lamp standards To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 2:22 AM This is so heavily forwarded I can't tell where it started, but it seems appropriate, and for once we have time to actually write the letters. - Ned In June of this year, the Department of Energy (DOE) will make a decision on efficiency standards for light bulbs, a major decision which could save 50 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year by 2020, and save consumers $70 billion over 30 years. In addition, it could eliminate more than 800 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent annual emissions of 172 coal-fired power plants. Unfortunately, the rule proposed by the previous administration falls far short and leaves significant energy and cost savings on the table. Your opportunity to reduce global warming emissions and save consumers billions of dollars is NOW. Please write a letter to the DOE asking them to demonstrate that they are serious about climate change. Urge them to adopt the more stringent standards for the fluorescent tube and incandescent reflector lamp rulemaking to gain the maximum benefits for consumers. President Obama has committed to making the US the most energy efficient country in the world and has appointed a scientist and energy efficiency advocate to lead the Department of Energy. If ever there were a time for consumers to voice their opinions and have them heard, that time is now. Please edit the attached letter to reflect your concerns and send to the Department of Energy. Thank you. ..... Charlie SAMPLE LETTER: February xx, 2009 Honorable Steven Chu Secretary U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave, SW Washington, DC 20585-0121 Re: Fluorescent Tube and Incandescent Lamps Rulemaking Docket #: EE-2006-STD- 0131 Dear Secretary Chu, I am writing to urge you to strengthen the lighting efficiency standards proposed by the previous administration. These new standards, due to be completed in June, will cover fluorescent tube lamps, including the four foot long light bulbs found in millions of office light fixtures, and incandescent reflector lamps, the very common cone-shaped light bulbs used in “recessed can” light fixtures and track lighting. With more than 500 million fluorescent tube lamps and 265 million incandescent reflector lamps sold annually in the U.S., new standards for these products have the potential to deliver more energy and cost savings than any other ever established by the Department of Energy. Based on the Department of Energy’s analysis, strong standards for these lamps could save about 50 billion kilowatt hours per year by 2020, enough to meet the annual electricity needs of 4.4 million typical American homes. Over thirty years, strong standards could net consumers and businesses nearly $70 billion in savings and fight global warming by eliminating 800 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the previous administration’s proposal sacrifices as much as half of these savings. Even more savings are lost because the reflector lamp proposal includes a huge loophole which leaves out about 40% of all sales. During the presidential campaign last year, President Obama promised to work to “make America the most energy efficient country in the world.” As president, he has committed to meet or beat all deadlines for new appliance and lighting standards, citing their importance for saving consumers money, spurring innovation and saving energy. By making these new lighting standards as strong as possible and closing the loophole in the reflector lamp standard, you can take a huge first step to meeting the president’s commitments. Sincerely, __,_._,___ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp

3 3

Stimulus Summary
by Jim Sconyers 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

Nice summary of the stimulus package energy provisions from Kevin Fooce. --- On Fri, 2/27/09, kevin fooce <fmoose39(a)hotmail.com> wrote: From: kevin fooce <fmoose39(a)hotmail.com> Subject: Stimulus To: "Jim Sconer" <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com> Date: Friday, February 27, 2009, 7:51 PM #yiv1060597427 #yiv454175209 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv542139351 .EC_hmmessage P {padding:0px;} #yiv1060597427 #yiv454175209 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv542139351 {font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;} How does the money make it to the people. Weatherization help is provided to people who fall below a certain income based upon the number of dependents, income, and when the home was last modernized. The home owner will have to apply to a community action agency that serves the area the home owner lives in. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant go to local governments. They need to be applied for through U.S. Dept. of Energy. Note: state is eligible but only the 10 largest counties or city are eligible. What this money is for is improving the energy efficiency of government buildings. The projects have to be ready to go very soon. One example I have for this one is Huntington has gave out 2, one for a duplex and one for a fourplex the renovated cost is about $400k. State Energy program. This is what I was talking about enacting codes to get the money to locals. R&D don't know about it. This one is a lot harder to find. Advanced Battery already gone. Energy efficient appliance is a tax credit we can all take will be mainly energy star appliances and will dependent on what is bought. Great program if used in conjunction with WV program can save residents a lot of money and some energy. Good for furnace, heat pumps, etc. RE tax credit put solar in get 30% tax credit not capped now. Also for wind, hydro, geothermal etc. We also have some RE grants available to business must have matching money. Mainly for utility scale energy projects. Available through U.S. Dept. of Energy. USDA has several programs for cities and business. Great programs but don't fall under stimulus money. Electrification is smart grid. If utilized in appropriate manner could be a good item. Smart grid technologies utilize many different products. It can be anything from a higher voltage line which can result in running 1 set of line instead of 2 or three as with Trail. If Trail was to have upgraded the present line from a 365kv to a 1.2mv they would have tripled it's capacity. "What I understand about the present line is it is a 365kv line of coarse this is just what I was told I could not confirm it in writing" Another item of interest is they have some giant batteries that can store megawatts of electricity. This is one of the items that is needed with RE. When the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine these batteries take up the slack. It is also part of a new billing idea the government has. This will show when and where the power goes and what the true loses are with it. Big field a lot to look at! Transportation big companies and government get the benefit not for WV. $500 million for retraining. Believe this would be a good time for a trade school or community college to build a RE program. Hope this helps. Kevin Fooce fooce(a)hotmail.com 304-593-2875 Access your email online and on the go with Windows Live Hotmail. Sign up today. Windows Live™ Groups: Create an online spot for your favorite groups to meet. Check it out.

1 0

more on lamp standards
by Jim Sconyers 01 Mar '09

01 Mar '09

More info from Kevin Fooce. Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Sun, 3/1/09, kevin fooce <fmoose39(a)hotmail.com> wrote: From: kevin fooce <fmoose39(a)hotmail.com> Subject: RE: Please write DOE re: lamp standards To: "Jim Sconer" <jim_scon(a)yahoo.com>, ec(a)osenergy.org, allantweddle(a)msn.com, barbara.howe(a)mail.wvu.edu, blittle(a)citynet.net, brbr_fallon(a)yahoo.com, daves(a)labyrinth.net, duane330(a)aol.com, ed.milam(a)occ.treas.gov, edon1985(a)comcast.net, freesource(a)cheat.org, "Mike Price" <greyhawkwv(a)verizon.net>, "Jim Kotcon" <jkotcon(a)wvu.edu>, marvaevon(a)aol.com, nhisbobness(a)aol.com, pamalasue922(a)verizon.net, "Paul Wilson" <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com>, regina1936(a)verizon.net, "Sally Wiltz" <sallywilts(a)yahoo.com>, "Bill DePaulo" <william.depaulo(a)gmail.com> Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 1:41 PM #yiv1673472838 .hmmessage P { margin:0px;padding:0px;} #yiv1673472838 { font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;} Jim, I have not read the standards yet but it has been in the works for several years now. The last I have seen on this was a complete phase out of the older T-12 type fluorescent lamps and to start phasing out the T-8 type fluorescent lamps and move all new installations to the T-5 type. For some info. on the different types a standard 4' long T-12 uses 40 watts a T-8 uses 32 and a T-5 uses 25 and they will produce about the same light output. As the new types come into play they also have 2 more benefits one is each group progressively has a longer lifespan the second is a progressive decrease use of mercury. The next part of the standard is to do away with the old type incandescent bulbs. Should not have to explain this one. They also have one more part but we do not know how this is to work out yet. They are talking about LED's. The reason we do not know about this yet is we no have several types of lighting that are more efficient than the LED's. If they get industrial acceptance the LED's may not be much of a factor. The IBEW and NECA have been watching and following this and are actively watching this standard. Once I have anymore info. on how this will effect our environment I will get it to you. The electrical industry want to see this change. It is actually cheaper for us to install the most efficient products. Kevin Fooce fooce(a)hotmail.com 304-593-2875 Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 09:52:59 -0800 From: jim_scon(a)yahoo.com Subject: Fw: Please write DOE re: lamp standards To: ec(a)osenergy.org; allantweddle(a)msn.com; barbara.howe(a)mail.wvu.edu; blittle(a)citynet.net; brbr_fallon(a)yahoo.com; daves(a)labyrinth.net; duane330(a)aol.com; Ed.Milam(a)occ.treas.gov; edon1985(a)comcast.net; fmoose39(a)hotmail.com; freesource(a)cheat.org; greyhawkwv(a)Verizon.net; jkotcon(a)wvu.edu; marvaevon(a)aol.com; nhisbobness(a)aol.com; pamalasue922(a)verizon.net; pjgrunt(a)gmail.com; regina1936(a)verizon.net; sallywilts(a)yahoo.com; william.depaulo(a)gmail.com A simple but huge advance in energy savings... Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Sun, 3/1/09, Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)FUSE.NET> wrote: From: Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)FUSE.NET> Subject: Please write DOE re: lamp standards To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 2:22 AM This is so heavily forwarded I can't tell where it started, but it seems appropriate, and for once we have time to actually write the letters. - Ned In June of this year, the Department of Energy (DOE) will make a decision on efficiency standards for light bulbs, a major decision which could save 50 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year by 2020, and save consumers $70 billion over 30 years. In addition, it could eliminate more than 800 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent annual emissions of 172 coal-fired power plants. Unfortunately, the rule proposed by the previous administration falls far short and leaves significant energy and cost savings on the table. Your opportunity to reduce global warming emissions and save consumers billions of dollars is NOW. Please write a letter to the DOE asking them to demonstrate that they are serious about climate change. Urge them to adopt the more stringent standards for the fluorescent tube and incandescent reflector lamp rulemaking to gain the maximum benefits for consumers. President Obama has committed to making the US the most energy efficient country in the world and has appointed a scientist and energy efficiency advocate to lead the Department of Energy. If ever there were a time for consumers to voice their opinions and have them heard, that time is now. Please edit the attached letter to reflect your concerns and send to the Department of Energy. Thank you. ..... Charlie SAMPLE LETTER: February xx, 2009 Honorable Steven Chu Secretary U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Ave, SW Washington, DC 20585-0121 Re: Fluorescent Tube and Incandescent Lamps Rulemaking Docket #: EE-2006-STD- 0131 Dear Secretary Chu, I am writing to urge you to strengthen the lighting efficiency standards proposed by the previous administration. These new standards, due to be completed in June, will cover fluorescent tube lamps, including the four foot long light bulbs found in millions of office light fixtures, and incandescent reflector lamps, the very common cone-shaped light bulbs used in “recessed can” light fixtures and track lighting. With more than 500 million fluorescent tube lamps and 265 million incandescent reflector lamps sold annually in the U.S., new standards for these products have the potential to deliver more energy and cost savings than any other ever established by the Department of Energy. Based on the Department of Energy’s analysis, strong standards for these lamps could save about 50 billion kilowatt hours per year by 2020, enough to meet the annual electricity needs of 4.4 million typical American homes. Over thirty years, strong standards could net consumers and businesses nearly $70 billion in savings and fight global warming by eliminating 800 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the previous administration’s proposal sacrifices as much as half of these savings. Even more savings are lost because the reflector lamp proposal includes a huge loophole which leaves out about 40% of all sales. During the presidential campaign last year, President Obama promised to work to “make America the most energy efficient country in the world.” As president, he has committed to meet or beat all deadlines for new appliance and lighting standards, citing their importance for saving consumers money, spurring innovation and saving energy. By making these new lighting standards as strong as possible and closing the loophole in the reflector lamp standard, you can take a huge first step to meeting the president’s commitments. Sincerely, __,_._,___ #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mkp {border:1px solid #d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;padding:0px 14px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mkp hr {border:1px solid #d8d8d8;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mkp #EC_hd {color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:bold;line-height:122%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mkp #EC_ads {margin-bottom:10px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mkp .EC_ad {padding:0 0;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mkp .EC_ad a {color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_ygrp-lc {font-family:Arial;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_ygrp-lc #EC_hd {font-weight:bold;font-size:78%;line-height:122%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_ygrp-lc .EC_ad {margin-bottom:10px;padding:0 0;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg {font-size:13px;font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg table {font-size:inherit;font:100%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg select, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 input, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 textarea {font:99% arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg pre, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 code {font:115% monospace;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg EC_* {line-height:1.22em;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-text {font-family:Georgia;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-text p {} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 dd.EC_last p a {font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-vitnav {padding-top:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-size:77%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-vitnav a {padding:0 1px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg #EC_logo {padding-bottom:10px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-reco {margin-bottom:20px;padding:0px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-reco #EC_reco-head {font-weight:bold;color:#ff7900;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_reco-category {font-size:77%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_reco-desc {font-size:77%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-vital a {text-decoration:none;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-vital a:hover {text-decoration:underline;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_ov ul {padding:0 0 0 8px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_ov li {list-style-type:square;padding:6px 0;font-size:77%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_ov li a {text-decoration:none;font-size:130%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor #EC_nc {background-color:#eee;margin-bottom:20px;padding:0 8px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor .EC_ad {padding:8px 0;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor .EC_ad #EC_hd1 {font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;color:#628c2a;font-size:100%;line-height:122%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor .EC_ad a {text-decoration:none;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor .EC_ad a:hover {text-decoration:underline;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-sponsor .EC_ad p {} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 EC_o {font-size:0;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 .EC_MsoNormal {} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-text tt {font-size:120%;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 blockquote {} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 .EC_replbq {} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 dd.EC_last p span {margin-right:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 dd.EC_last p span.EC_yshortcuts {margin-right:0;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_photo-title a, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_photo-title a:active, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_photo-title a:hover, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_photo-title a:visited {text-decoration:none;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_file-title a, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_file-title a:active, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_file-title a:hover, #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_file-title a:visited {text-decoration:none;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-msg p {clear:both;padding:15px 0 3px 0;overflow:hidden;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-msg p span {color:#1E66AE;font-weight:bold;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 EC_div#ygrp-mlmsg #EC_ygrp-msg p a span.EC_yshortcuts {font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;font-weight:normal;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-msg p a {font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 #EC_ygrp-mlmsg a {color:#1E66AE;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_attach-table div div a {text-decoration:none;} #yiv1673472838 .ExternalClass #EC_yiv1580537570 div.EC_attach-table {width:400px;} - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp Windows Live™: Life without walls. Check it out.

1 0

Fwd: Carbon Capture and Sequestration Video Link - FYI
by James Kotcon 28 Feb '09

28 Feb '09

This is a nice visual, but it is obviously glossing over some of the risks. While much of the description is accurate, I don't think any responsible geologist would conclude that there is no risk to groundwater. The concluding sentence is "The technology is available NOW." The key word is "Available". If that is the case, industry should put their money where their mouth is, and we should insist on it as BACT. JBK >>> Carl DuPoldt <cdupoldt(a)yahoo.com> 2/28/2009 9:05 AM >>> Here's an educational video link on Carbon Capture and Sequestration. I hope that it will will help stimulate people to action. Whatdo you think? http://www.ccs-education.net/media/ccs_video_01.html Carl DuPoldtGreenBuildingSolutions&Supplies www.greenbuildingss.com ******************************************************** To unsubscribe from SANET-MG: 1- Visit http://lists.sare.org/archives/sanet-mg.html to unsubscribe or; 2- Send a message to <listserv(a)sare.org> from the address subscribed to the list. Type "unsubscribe sanet-mg" in the body of the message. Visit the SANET-MG archives at: http://lists.sare.org/archives/sanet-mg.html. Questions? Visit http://www.sare.org/about/sanetFAQ.htm. For more information on grants and other resources available through the SARE program, please visit http://www.sare.org.

2 2

WV Stimulus Projects
by Jim Sconyers 27 Feb '09

27 Feb '09

Looking at the Gov's website for stimulus information: So far not a cent listed for efficiency, conservation, weatherization, public transportation, etc. One can only hope those are yet to come... Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Wed, 2/25/09, WV Democratic Party <wvparty(a)wvdemocrats.com> wrote: From: WV Democratic Party <wvparty(a)wvdemocrats.com> Subject: Obama's Speech/WV Stimulus Projects To: jim_scon(a)yahoo.com Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 4:00 PM wvdemocrats.com #yiv1688370206 TD.dems_content A { COLOR:#0556b9;FONT-FAMILY:verdana, tahoma, helvetica;} #yiv1688370206 TD.dems_content A:hover { COLOR:#000000;} President Obama Delivers Speech to Joint Session of Congress "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before." -- President Obama (click here for his entire address http://www.wvdemocrats.com/ ) State of West Virginia Releases List of Projects Funded by Stimulus Check this website www.wvgov.org and look for updates on the stimulus dollars for WV Stay up to date on Democratic events across by visiting our web calendar http://www.wvdemocrats.com/calendar.php wvdemocrats.com This email was sent to jim_scon(a)yahoo.com. If you feel you've received this email in error, you can unsubscribe at any time.

4 4

Fw: Ohio DP&L settlement - Summary of Case
by Jim Sconyers 27 Feb '09

27 Feb '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Fri, 2/27/09, Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)FUSE.NET> wrote: From: Ned Ford <Ned.Ford(a)FUSE.NET> Subject: Ohio DP&L settlement - Summary of Case To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Friday, February 27, 2009, 11:19 AM On Monday, February 23rd Sierra Club settled an Electric Security Plan case with Dayton Power and Light (DP&L), along with industrial, commercial, residential, low income and local government representatives and the Ohio Environmental Council. This case resulted from passage of Senate Bill 221 in May of 2008. The Sierra Club's primary goal was to ensure fulfillment of the energy efficiency and renewable energy requirements of SB 221. The case involved important rate reforms and other issues, some of which affect our basic strategy to improve the financial rewards for DP&L to meet and/or exceed the energy saving provisions of the new law and to maximize renewable resource use. DP&L sells about $1 billion worth of electricity each year, about 9% of Ohio's $11 billion electric spending. SB 221 requires DP&L (and the other regulated electric companies) to use energy efficiency programs to reduce their gross sales one third of one percent in 2009. The reduction goal increases each year until 2019 when new annual savings should increase 2% each year thereafter. The settlement does not change the company's requirement under SB221, but provides strong assurances that the savings will occur as stated. (About 12% of Ohio's electricity is sold by municipally owned public power companies or co-ops, which are not affected by SB 221 or State regulation). DP&L has agreed to a customer advisory group which will provide ongoing recommendations to improve program performance and cost-effectiveness. The impact will not be determined until after the year's end, but this settlement should cause DP&L to spend about $5 million on efficiency programs in 2009, which can be expected to cause about $15 million in customer cost savings, spread over some future years. Some of the savings will be retained by the company or shared with the company, depending on your perspective, to compensate for the loss of expected sales. Program costs are generally paired with avoidable costs for electricity generation, and are therefore not a direct cost to the utility, but rather replace customer costs for fuel and operation and maintenance with the cost of the efficiency programs. SB 221 also requires each Ohio regulated electric company to provide 0.25% of it's generation from renewable energy in 2009 (rising to 12.5% in 2025), but since no commercial wind exists in Ohio in 2009, the first year requirements will be met with purchases of renewable electricity from nearby states. DP&L is the smallest of the four companies directly affected by SB 221, and was the last to file a new plan. Duke settled it's ESP case last October along similar lines, although the Duke settlement includes an incentive payment for overcompliance, which we strongly support as a good economic deal for Duke customers and the environment. DP&L proposed cost recovery for efficiency programs in a different manner and was not interested in defining a plan for overcompliance, but agreed to some changes we proposed to keep that possibility open in the future. DP&L is one of the two major Ohio utilities which have some good wind resources in their service area, and apparently plans to develop some of those resources in the next few years. DP&L's plan includes provisions for net metering of customer-generated renewable power, and grid modifications to facilitate renewable energy. Terms for those elements of the plan were improved in the settlement. This case was advanced through a very effective alliance of consumer and environmental organizations which developed last year when rules to implement SB 221 were developed. This alliance has allowed sharing of analytical resources, and has probably added considerable speed to the high pressure negotiations. The alliance, led by Ohio Consumers' Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander, a Sierra Club member, one time Ohio Chapter Vice Chair, and the Club's attorney for approximately 26 utility interventions in the 1990's, has substantially enhanced Ohio's move toward a sustainable and affordable energy future. Electric utility efficiency programs are well known in parts of the U.S. but are slow in coming to the lower Midwest coal producing states. In the last year Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania have embarked along similar paths. Illinois and Ohio have the strongest laws, which will take them to the level of efficiency activity that the strongest states presently have. Saving this much electricity will be enough to eliminate all new growth of greenhouse gases from electricity generation in these states, and perhaps much more, depending on the economy and how well the public and the regulators come to understand the economic benefits of these programs. For more information contact: Ned Ford Energy Advisor Sierra Club, Ohio Chapter 513/600-4200 Ned.Ford(a)fuse.net - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp

1 0

Fwd: FW: The Coen brothers' newest release
by Paul Wilson 26 Feb '09

26 Feb '09

New clean coal dig on YouTube. enjoy, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Cathy Zoi, The We Campaign <info(a)wecansolveit.org> Date: Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 4:47 PM Subject: FW: The Coen brothers' newest release To: Paul Wilson <pjgrunt(a)gmail.com> We're very excited about the Reality Coalition's latest ad, which was directed by Academy Award-winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen. Please check it out <http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52c1/2189…>and join Reality today. -Cathy [image: Reality]<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52c0/2189…> Dear Reality Member, When it comes to making cutting edge films like "Fargo," "No Country for Old Men," and "The Big Lebowski," Joel and Ethan Coen are the real deal. Now, they've got one more title on that impressive list. "Air Freshener" is directed by the Coen brothers, and we're proud to say it's Reality's latest ad -- calling out the coal industry's ridiculous claims that coal is clean as only the Coen brothers can. Watch it now: [image: "Air Freshener" Spot]<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52c1/2189…> http://action.ThisIsReality.org/coenbrothers<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52c1/2189…> A lot has happened since we launched the Reality Campaign to call out the coal industry for their dirty lies. The devastating coal ash spill in Tennessee last December was a painful reminder that using "clean" to describe coal doesn't make it true. And last week, the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reconsider carbon dioxide regulation was a tremendous wake-up call to the coal industry. Now is a crucial moment. Our message is working, and we've got to take this opportunity to turn up the heat. With help from folks like the Coen brothers, it's a little easier (and funnier). Will you help spread the word, too? Watch how this Air Freshener "cleans," and join the Reality Campaign to help push the coal industry to come clean about dirty coal. http://action.ThisIsReality.org/coenbrothers<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52c1/2189…> It's time for the coal industry to make an immediate investment in new technology, to show real commitment to clean energy solutions. The ball is in their court. Thanks, Brian Hardwick Reality Coalition P.S. After you watch the video, check out the Reality blog<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52cf/2189…>, the newest addition to ThisIsReality.org<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52ce/2189…> . ThisIsReality.org<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52c0/2189…> | About<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52cd/2189…> ------------------------------ This email was sent to: pjgrunt(a)gmail.com To unsubscribe, go to: http://wecansolveit.org/unsubscribe<http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/m2/396e8997/6ffe8e5f/9cec5d9/19ba52cc/2189…> -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha

1 0

New Home
by Regina Hendrix 25 Feb '09

25 Feb '09

I apologize for being so unavailable lately. I've been in Maryland with my sister off and on for the past three months. She is undergoing chemo and has just finished her course of treatment. She's still having lots of effects and residual problems. In the meantime, during my trips to Howard County, Md., I've been looking at real estate in Jefferson County, WV. I have located a home that I'm planning to settle on sometime at the end of March. I had hoped to put a link on here for you to see but it seems the MLS system has taken it down, even though I've not yet settled. I will still be in the Charleston area on E-Day at the Capitol and hope to see you all there. Regina Hendrix

1 0

[Fwd: Earth Day at the Clay Center]
by Regina Hendrix 25 Feb '09

25 Feb '09

FYI. Bill Price and I had a Sierra Club Earth Day table last year at the Clay Center. As I remember, SC was the only environmental group there. The good old DEP was there and the state energy folks were there. I would be interested again this year but the timing is very close to my move to Charles Town. This would be a good opportunity for the Coal River Wind Project. Regina Hendrix

1 0

Fw: New interactive map brings source of CO2 levels into your living room
by Jim Sconyers 24 Feb '09

24 Feb '09

Jim Sconyers jim_scon(a)yahoo.com 304.906.6628 Remember: Mother Nature bats last. --- On Mon, 2/23/09, Eric Uram <Eric.Uram(a)HEADWATER.US> wrote: From: Eric Uram <Eric.Uram(a)HEADWATER.US> Subject: New interactive map brings source of CO2 levels into your living room To: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Date: Monday, February 23, 2009, 10:28 PM New interactive map brings source of CO2 levels into your living room Posted on February 20th, 2009 Scientists at Purdue University have teamed up with Google Earth to create a new interactive map of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Google Earth users can now click to see how emissions from factories, power plants, transportation, homes and businesses contribute to an individual county or state’s output. The map can also be customized to show the locations of power plants and airports. Zooming around reveals, for example, that air travel produces nearly half of the carbon dioxide emissions from Los Angeles County , Calif. READ MORE » Eric Uram Sierra Club National Toxics Team/Zero Waste Team International Heavy Metals Liaison to the UCIC John Muir Chapter - Conservation Chair - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS list, send any message to: CONS-SPST-GLOBALWARM-CHAIRS-signoff-request(a)LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/

1 0

Fw: the "hookup"
by James Kotcon 24 Feb '09

24 Feb '09

Well-written article that highlights the contrast between what Allegheny wants and what they say we "need". I especially liked that line "But the blackout argument is bogus, Overland contends. “A review of recent blackouts…shows that they occurred during off-peak times when utilities were overloading the lines.” In other words, they were selling more electricity to distant buyers than the system could transmit." I would like to get the data showing when blackouts actually occur, relative to peak load periods. JBK >>> "Vickie Wolfe" <wolfev(a)verizon.net> 2/24/2009 1:53 AM >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: Sam Stetson To: Charles Pique ; haught(a)wvgazette.com ; IBtreehugger(a)gmail.com Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 7:45 PM Subject: the "hookup" Another View From the Bridge: What Does Needing Mean Posted Mon, 02/23/2009 - 08:59 by carol white http://discuss.epluribusmedia.net/node/3724 Mark Dewey has kindly let me post his latest editorial in the Blue Ridge Leader -- a Follup to his Last Post on the Alleghany Power's Plans to Connect West Virginia coal-powered generators to Maryland and New Jersey.This time he discusses how the federal "regulatory" process has worked as a result of the hookup between big coal and the Bush Crowd.. The View From the Ridge By Mark Dewey February 20, 2009 What Does Needing Mean? Henry David Thoreau, America’s first conservationist, believed that much of what we say we need is not merely unnecessary but actually harmful. That may be the case with new electricity transmission projects like PATH. Carol Overland, a lawyer specializing in utility regulation, believes that before building any more high voltage towers, we should determine not only how much electricity we need, but also what the word ‘need’ means in this context. That the word means one thing to the people who want to build the towers and something else to us is cause for concern, since we’ll have to pay for the towers, look at the towers, and live with the lifestyle the towers will impose. To most of us, need means local load service to light our houses, heat our water, and freeze our food—maybe also to run our wastewater treatment facility and the dryers at the Laundromat. And years ago, that’s what need meant to power companies, too, because regulation let them provide electricity only to people in their service area. But those controls were abolished, freeing power companies to sell electricity the same way Chrysler sells cars: on the open market. “North American Electric Reliability Corporation… admits that the transmission system is sufficient to meet local load-serving needs,” Carol Overland writes on the website Gristmill, “but the transmission grid is not sufficient for market purposes.” So Allegheny Energy needs to expand its transmission system. Paul Evanson, Chairman, President, and CEO of Allegheny Energy, said as much on February 11, at a meeting with investment bankers from Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, and other financial institutions. “Our transmission projects are key to Allegheny’s growth,” Evanson said, “so it’s very important that we maintain our construction schedule for TrAIL’s in-service date of June 11 and make the state regulatory filings for PATH in the coming months.” Evanson also said that Allegheny had secured “incentive rate treatment from FERC which included a 14.3 per cent return” on whatever they spend to build PATH—a return paid by us. “2009 will be a very challenging time,” Evanson said, “[but] I’m confident we can weather the economic downturn and keep our multiple long-term growth catalysts substantially intact.” How does Allegheny do that? The first step is to get a Certificate of Need from the State Corporation Commission, which approves only new construction that’s “reasonable and prudent,” Overland says. “Opportunity to play the market is not reasonable and prudent…[so] transmission projects for market trading are couched in terms of local load-serving need.” The need to expand local service is usually justified by the threat of blackouts. For example, to win approval for TrAIL, Allegheny argued that the mid-Atlantic region would be vulnerable to blackouts during hours of peak demand by the year 2013. Building to satisfy peak demand means spending billions on infrastructure to continuously satisfy needs that may exist for only a few hours every year. The rest of the time that extra capacity is used to make Allegheny Energy more attractive to investors at Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. But the blackout argument is bogus, Overland contends. “A review of recent blackouts…shows that they occurred during off-peak times when utilities were overloading the lines.” In other words, they were selling more electricity to distant buyers than the system could transmit. And projections of increased local demand may also be dubious. “Despite their propensity to overstate need,” Overland says, “several utility CEOs recently admitted that use has decreased between 3 and 9 percent.” “We also need renewable generation,” Overland points out, “and we have an equally compelling need to reduce CO2 emissions, and the toxic waste of electrical generation, needs not readily recognized in energy planning.” And we need to cultivate a conservative attitude to reduce waste. After all, wasting something is the opposite of needing it. If we put compact fluorescent bulbs in all our lights, we’d save enough energy to forestall any argument about blackouts caused by growing local need. In fact, Overland suggests, conservation could reduce today’s so-called need by 10 percent. But if we allow Allegheny Energy to define the term need, we’ll soon be paying $1.5 billion for more 160-foot iron towers to make the company look good to Citigroup. And once those towers are in place, the direction of energy planning and policy will be set in iron and stone. “We remain dedicated to enhancing shareholder value in years ahead,” President Evanson assured the moneymen. That’s what “need” means to him. Let’s tell him what it means to us.

1 0

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

EC