Facts About Alliant's Proposal

At first glance, one may assume the Alliant coal plant proposal is only a concern for those living in Alliant Energy's service territory. Not so! The pollution coming from a new plant won't stay within Alliant's service territory, it will affect all Wisconsinites. In fact, the expected global warming pollution to come from Alliant's proposed plant will erase many of the efforts you and I are making to lessen our impact on global warming. Moreover, our governor and other leaders are committed to taking action to stop global warming, and coal fired power plants are a primary source of global warming pollution. Wisconsin cannot meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals if it allows another coal fired power plant to be built.

Here is what we mean:

  1. The 3.294 million tons of global warming emissions annually from the Cassville plant is more than the total global warming emissions of 90 individual countries.
    1. The Cassville plant global warming emissions output (3.2 million tons per year) is equivalent the total global warming emissions output of Nepal (3.2 million tons per year).
    2. Nepal's emission levels are attributed to energy needs of the entire 28 million population which starkly contrasts the Cassville emissions levels attributed to the energy needs of a mere 300,000.
  2. If every single rental property in Wisconsin had energy efficient lighting in common areas and exit signs we would save approximately 589,000 tons of global warming emissions per year, according to estimates from Wisconsin's Task Force on Global Warming. These savings would be completely ERASED in just 2 months of operating the Cassville coal plant.
  3. If Wisconsin enacted new efficiency standards similar to those of at least 10 other states for furnaces, audio equipment and commercial and industrial boilers we would save approximately 430,000 tons of global warming emissions over 10 years, according to estimates from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. These savings would be completely ERASED in just 7 weeks of operating the Cassville coal plant.
  4. Establishing a Regional Transit Authority in Madison and S.E. Wisconsin enabling enhanced bus service and a new fixed rail system in those areas would save an estimated 121,000 tons of global warming emissions by 2020, according to estimates from Wisconsin's Task Force on Global Warming. These savings would be completely ERASED in just 2 weeks of operating the Cassville coal plant.
  5. Expanding the intercity rail service to Madison from the Milwaukee and Chicago corridor would eliminate up to 500,000 auto trips and save approximately 209,000 tons of global warming emissions by 2020, according to estimates from Wisconsin's Task Force on Global Warming. These savings would be completely ERASED in just 3 1/2 weeks of operating the Cassville coal plant.
  6. The "20 million by 2020" initiative by the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council would add 20 million urban trees to the state and store an estimated 4.5 million tons of carbon by 2020. These savings would be completely ERASED in 5 years of operating the Cassville coal plant.
  7. The Nelson Dewey project will emit 6.3 tons per minute of CO2 (or 3.294 million tons per year).
  8. The Nelson Dewey Project yearly CO2 emissions are equivalent to the addition of 1,772 cars per day to the roads of Wisconsin (or 646,811 cars per year).
  9. The yearly CO2 emissions produced by the Nelson Dewey Project will offset the greenhouse gas (GHG) savings attributed to not burning 932,463 gallons of gasoline per day in Wisconsin (or 340,349,248 gallons per year).
  10. The yearly CO2 emissions produced by the Nelson Dewey Project are equivalent to CO2 emissions attributed to the burning of 19,040 barrels of oil per day in Wisconsin (or 6,949,457 barrels of oil each year).
  11. The yearly CO2 emissions of the Nelson Dewey Project are equivalent to the carbon sequestration of 76,622,215 of ten year old tree seedlings. This is the same as clear cutting 209,923 ten year old seedlings per day (or 76,622,215 ten year old seedlings each year).
  12. The yearly CO2 emissions produced by the Nelson Dewey Project are equivalent to clear cutting 6,823 acres per day of pine or fir forests storing carbon (or 2,490,222 acres for one year).
  13. The yearly CO2 emissions produced by the Nelson Dewey Project would offset the preservation of over 24,494 acres of Wisconsin forest preserved from deforestation each year.
  14. The yearly CO2 emissions produced by the Nelson Dewey Project are equivalent to the CO2 emissions attributed to 383,603 households yearly electricity needs.
  15. The Nelson Dewey Project would offset 1,006,150 tons of waste recycled instead of placed in Wisconsin landfills this year.

All findings based on 3.294 million tons of CO2 emissions per year using the calculations
on the website http://www.usctcgateway.net/tool/ provided by Alliant Energy.
Note Clean Wisconsin uses U.S. tons (short tons) as default.

Go to the Take Action section of this Tool Kit to learn how you can fight for more balanced, clean, and safe energy alternatives that help reduce global warming pollution. Or contact Ryan Schryver at rschryver@CleanWisconsin.org for more information.