Memories of Three Mile Island were still fresh and terrifying, and coal was safe and familiar.
Now it's a coal-burning plant that East Kentucky Power can't get built, even in coal-loving Kentucky.
From the Herald:
East Kentucky Power Cooperative on Thursday permanently canceled plans for a coal-fired power plant in Clark County, handing a major victory to environmental groups that have long opposed the idea.
In a settlement with the groups and others, the cooperative agreed to abandon plans for its Smith plant and not seek to build any coal-fired power-generating units for two years. The environmental groups — Sierra Club, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and Kentucky Environmental Foundation — have agreed to drop a number of lawsuits and other legal proceedings.
The cooperative and environmental groups also announced they would form a group that will explore how best to implement energy-efficiency programs, which the groups have long advocated as a better solution to meet demand for electricity than a coal-fired generator.
"This is a great day for East Kentucky Power and its customers," said Lauren McGrath, Kentucky organizer for the Sierra Club. "Not building Smith means the co-op won't go close to $1 billion more in debt."
The cooperative's leadership said the decision was based on the plant's cost, not the efforts of its opponents.
"This was really just a business decision more than anything ..." Tony Campbell, the cooperative's CEO, said. "We don't need that plant."
Spin all you want, Tony: Coal is going down.
From victorious Kentuckians for the Commonwealth:
This is a new day for Kentucky’s rural electric co-ops, and a great step toward new power for Kentucky. KFTC member Steve Wilkins, a Blue Grass Energy co-op member, has been active in the campaign to stop the Smith plant and bring new power to the co-ops. About today’s agreement, he said:
"The Smith coal-fired plant meant nearly a billion-dollar investment and a further 50-year commitment to dirty power. Canceling the plant is a breath of fresh air. Even better, resources can now be redirected and the window opened to collaboration on clean energy alternatives letting the sun shine in on a New Power tomorrow; a tomorrow where rural electric cooperatives work shoulder-to-shoulder with their communities making electricity more affordable through energy-efficient housing and renewable energy sources.”
East Kentucky Power is the 600-pound gorilla of electric cooperatives in Kentucky, where they serve the majority of rural residents. That it backed down in the face of pressure from a bunch of tree-hugging liberals is a monster blow to Big Coal.
There's a long, hard struggle ahead, but this is one to celebrate. Throw a few bucks to KFTC to show your appreciation.
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