Why we’re suing to stop the Nemadji Trail Energy Center

Nemadji Trail Energy Center rendition
, By Mark Redsten

The Nemadji Trail Energy Center is a bad deal for Wisconsin.

Not only will the proposed gas plant add millions of tons of carbon emissions to our air, it will irreparably harm groundwater and destroy important wetlands. Despite these major environmental concerns, the Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the project.

That’s why on Friday, February 28, Clean Wisconsin, along with Sierra Club, filed a lawsuit against the PSC to stop this gas plant from being built.

As our legal filing makes clear, there are a number of problems with where this plant would be located and the water resources it would need to operate. These problems could lead to serious environmental impacts, including soil erosion, flooding, groundwater depletion, and habitat loss.

The Wisconsin utility, Dairyland Power Cooperative, and Allete, Inc. provided insufficient analysis of the environmental impacts. For their part, the PSC failed to correctly interpret longstanding environmental standards in making their decision.

The environmental impacts, from a warming climate to local water concerns, are significant. That’s why we feel it is important to take this legal stand.

In reality, we don’t need another fossil fuel power plant in Wisconsin. We have the technology and ability to meet our current energy needs with wind and solar paired with battery storage.

What we need are utilities willing to move away from last-century forms of electricity—which are expensive and harmful to public health and the environment—and invest heavily in wind and solar projects that would power our communities with local and clean energy, stimulating our state economy, creating jobs, and protecting public health.

We’re committed to defeating the Nemadji Trail Energy Center. We’ve defeated other fossil fuel plants in the past. We can stop this gas plant, too.

You can help defeat this project. Legal challenges are expensive and take a lot of resources, from lawyer time and fees to expert testimony costs. Financial support from concerned residents like you is critical to helping us do this work in the courts to make sure our environment, communities and state are protected.

There’s a lot at stake with this legal challenge: the opportunity to cut carbon emissions and meet our clean energy goals, the health of our wetlands and water resources, and the future of our kids and grandkids are all at stake.

Join us in this legal challenge by giving a gift of any amount.