Say NO to Alliant's Cassville Coal Plant
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Frequently Asked Questions About Alliant Energy's
Proposed Coal Plant

Background:
Alliant Energy has proposed to build a new 300 Megawatt coal plant adjacent to the site of their existing coal plants in Cassville, WI, or Portage, WI. Their preferred site is in Cassville, so this information will focus on the proposal for that location.

Alliant's existing Cassville coal plants are among the dirtiest in the state with over 299 air permit violation in the last five years. They also have the second highest emissions rates in the state of the dangerous pollutants NOX and SO2.

The new coal plant that Alliant Energy wants to build in Cassville would more than double the size of the existing facilities.

 

Why shouldn't we allow another coal plant in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin already depends on coal for over 70% of its electricity. All of that coal must be imported from other states, a significant drain on our economy. 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.

What makes Alliant's Cassville proposal so dirty?

First and foremost, it's a coal plant, and burning coal is the dirtiest, most environmentally harmful way to produce electricity. But even for a coal plant, this project is bad. Alliant has chosen to use Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) technology to burn the coal. CFBs burn the coal at a lower temperature than most coal plants and are even less efficient than other coal plants under construction in Wisconsin. Burning the coal at a lower temperature with lower efficiency means that the plant emits higher rates of global warming pollution than any other coal technology available to Alliant.

The CFB technology creates large amounts of nitrous oxides (N2O), a greenhouse gas almost 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2). If built, the new coal plant would emit 10 % more global warming pollution per unit of energy than the current facility which was built nearly 50 years ago!

Doesn't burning coal cause mercury pollution?

Yes. Coal fired power plants are the largest producers of mercury pollution in Wisconsin. Instead of trying to reduce mercury pollution by using cleaner technologies, Alliant has proposed to continue polluting Wisconsin's air and waterways with up to 196 lbs of mercury every year.

When mercury released into the air settles into waterways, it is transformed into methylmercury, which is highly toxic and builds up in fish and shellfish. When humans eat those fish, it can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. When an infant or child is exposed to methylmercury, it can impair normal development and damage the child's nervous system. Mercury pollution is especially harmful to pregnant women, infants, and young children.

Because of the serious dangers of mercury pollution, the state Department of Natural Resources has warned the public that all of Wisconsin's lakes, rivers and streams contain unsafe levels of mercury pollution.

Mercury emissions from the existing Nelson Dewey units in Cassville:
69.5 lbs (2004)

Projected emissions from Alliant's proposed coal plant:
196 lbs per year

Will Alliant's coal plant emit other pollutants?

Yes.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOX): Nitrogen oxides are dangerous pollutants that cause ground level ozone pollution, acid rain, smog and other dangerous toxins. Ground level ozone pollution can damage the lungs of children, the elderly and anyone who frequently works or exercises out doors. In addition to damaging the respiratory system, NOX can aggravate heart disease and lead to premature deaths.

NOX can also damage agriculture production and the environment. Ground level ozone hurts the growth of crops like corn and soybeans. Ground level ozone also makes the crops more susceptible to crop diseases and damage from insects. Nitrogen Oxides can also act as a soil fertilizer, which may seem like a good thing, but when excessive amounts of fertilizers run off in to water sources they can cause environmentally destructive algae blooms.

Sulfur Oxides (SOX): There are three types of sulfur oxide pollution that come from coal fired power plants, sulfate particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid.

Sulfur Dioxides form tiny particulate matter when released into the air. This particulate matter can make breathing difficult for children and the elderly. It can also contribute to respiratory illness, aggravate asthma conditions and lead to premature deaths in anyone who breathes the toxins.

How would this project affect the Mississippi River?

Alliant's proposal could result in destruction of acres of wetlands in the Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Refuge. The wetlands Alliant intends to use are some of the highest quality in the state, and home to bald eagles and other important species. The area around Nelson Dewey State Park is prized by bird lovers, anglers, and hunters. These wetlands are also critical for protecting the local area from flooding.

Aren't there endangered species in the Mississippi River around Cassville?

Yes. The Mississippi River area is home to the Federally-endangered Higgins Eye Pearly Mussel, and the area around Cassville has "one of the most robust known populations of the mussel" according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. National experts use the area around Cassville to research the endangered mussel and develop new techniques to help the species recover. Adding more coal barge traffic to this sensitive area will jeopardize efforts to protect this endangered species.

How would this project affect Nelson Dewey State Park, Stonefield Village, and other cultural areas?

The large footprint of Alliant's proposed coal plant will have a profound impact on the area's recreational and cultural resources. Several of the options Alliant outlines in their application involve removing large sections of scenic bluffs in order to make room for expanded railroad lines. Other options Alliant is considering include purchasing lands from the popular Nelson Dewey State Park to make room for the new coal plant. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, over 40,000 people visit the Nelson Dewey State Park every year bringing valuable tourism dollars into the local economy.

The proposed site for the new facility is also adjacent to the Stonefield State Historic Site and Wisconsin State Agriculture Museum. Several of the options being considered involve moving structures on the historic property. The close proximity of the new coal plant would jeopardize the historic value of the site and detract from the enjoyment of visitors.

What about Alliant's claim that they plan to burn biomass, a renewable fuel?

Alliant's proposal does not include all the necessary storage and processing equipment to enable them to burn large amounts of biomass at their new coal plant. In contrast, Alliant provided detailed information about the various dirty fuels that would be burned at this plant: eastern coal, western coal and petroleum refinery waste.

Even if Alliant were to make good on their claims to burn biomass at their proposed coal plant, the inefficient technology Alliant has chosen to use would negate many of the benefits normally associated with burning biomass. For example, even if 20% biomass is used to fuel the proposed facility the greenhouse gas emissions from the plant will still be higher, per unit of energy, than other coal plants in Wisconsin burning 100% coal.

Alliant's proposed coal plant would need to burn the following amounts of biomass to compare with other plants in Wisconsin that burn no biomass:

Unfortunately, Alliant's claims to burn biomass at their proposed coal plant are just an effort to "green wash" their dirty coal plant as an environmentally friendly project. Not only is the biomass unable to make any real reductions in the enormous global warming emissions from this coal plant, the biomass will not even reduce the coal consumption of this plant compared to other coal plants under construction in the state. For example, at 10% biomass by energy, the proposed coal plant for Cassville will still consume more coal than the coal plant under construction in Oak Creek using 0% biomass.

* Comparisons are based on the Final Environmental Impact statement for Weston 4 (2004) and US EPA Acid Rain Data (2006).

Will Alliant's proposed coal plant cause more train traffic in Cassville?

Yes. Alliant's application states that the new coal plant would require about 81 additional trains full of coal and petroleum refinery waste every year. Each train is expected to be about 125 cars long.

Will there be other impacts on the town of Cassville?

Yes. During construction of the new plant Alliant estimates that between 400 and 640 additional cars will be traveling in and out of the construction zones and through the town of Cassville each month. Alliant estimates that between 15 - 20 additional large trucks will be delivering bulk materials to the site daily. During peak construction times as many as 120 large trucks could be traveling in and out of the site each day.

Even after the construction is completed there could be as many as 40 trucks per day hauling ash and waste from the new plant.

Are there alternatives to building a coal plant?

Yes!

Energy Efficiency: Energy conservation and efficiency programs have a proven track-record of reducing the need for additional electricity, and new technologies are emerging to reduce the need even further. Instead of another coal power plant that will continue to send Wisconsin money out of state for fossil fuels and burden Wisconsin with dirty air and water, investments in energy efficiency can keep money in the state where approximately $4 is returned to the economy in the form of increased energy savings for every $1 invested in energy efficiency projects.

A recent analysis by the Energy Center of Wisconsin found that increasing investments in energy efficiency in Wisconsin between $75 and $123 million dollars per year would, over five years, "defer the need for one average- sized electric power plant." Alliant's proposed coal plant is projected to cost over $900 million dollars. For almost one tenth of that investment the need for Alliant's proposed coal plant could be offset.

Renewable Energy: Wisconsin has an abundance of natural resources that can be used to produce energy while bolstering our local economy.

Cleaner Technology: There are a host of cleaner, more efficient technologies already being used in Wisconsin to produce energy.

How much will Alliant's proposed coal plant cost?

Alliant initially estimated that the project would cost $795 million dollars. The actual cost of the project is expected to be over $1.2 billion dollars due to recent increases in the price of steel and the rising costs of labor and transportation. All of these costs will be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher energy bills.

Isn't coal the cheapest source of energy?

The cost of constructing coal plants has skyrocketed in recent years. The rising price of building materials such as steel coupled with escalating transportation costs have driven up the price-tag on coal plants proposed around the country.

Recent court rulings and shifting political momentum at the state and federal level all but guarantee that global warming pollution will be regulated in the very near future. Global warming regulations could come in the form of a direct tax on global warming pollutants or through a "cap and trade" system where Alliant will be forced to purchase credits that will allow them to pollute. Regardless of the system used to regulate global warming pollutants, Alliant's proposed coal plant will become very expensive to operate under the new laws. In the end Alliant will try to pass these costs on to the consumers, making their customers pay for their unnecessary pollution.

These factors and others have caused banks, investors and other utilities around the country to begin to back away from projects to build new coal plants and to look for cleaner, more affordable alternatives.

Investments in energy efficiency and conservation are both the most affordable and environmentally friendly ways to meet our energy needs. Every little bit of energy that we save is energy that doesn't have to be produced by a dirty coal fired power plant.

What about mountain top removal?

Alliant boasts in their proposal that the CFB technology they have proposed to use in Cassville will be capable of burning several different types of coal including coal from the Eastern United States. Most of the coal that is mined from the Eastern United States is mined using a process called mountain top removal. Mountain top removal is the most environmentally devastating way to mine coal. Vegetation, topsoil and bedrock are literally blown from the tops of mountains and dumped into nearby rivers and valleys. Mountain top removal has caused the destruction of nearly 300,000 acres of mountains and over 1,000 miles of Appalachian rivers. Instead of moving away from these dangerous and antiquated mining practices, Alliant is using an outdated technology that could actually perpetuate these atrocities.