New Coal-fired Power Plants Planned for Colorado

The Denver Post reports today on the resurgence of coal burning and the drive to build more coal-fired power plants in Colorado. The map below from the Denver Post shows the location of existing and proposed coal-fired power plants.


The push for more coal is unfortunate, especially given the impacts to clean air and community health. Coal-fired power plants in Colorado are the largest source of mercury, acid rain, and other toxic pollutants. According to data with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Public Service Company's Cherokee Station-which burns coal 24 hours a day in neighborhoods north of Denver-releases 116 pounds of mercury annually. That's enough to contaminate a body of water with a surface area of over 1,000,000 acres.

On top of that, we do have alternatives. Most importantly, by shifting our emphasis from consumption to conservation, we can strike a balance in energy use that does not require sacrificing clean air and our health, and certainly doesn't require coal.