June 16, 2008

WP&L Says It Will Offset Emissions From Proposed Coal Plant

Wisconsin Power & Light says it will offset the greenhouse gas emissions from a proposed c$777 million coal power plant in southwestern Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.  Environmentalists and state regulators say the kind of technology proposed by Alliant is less efficient and generates more GHG emissions than other coal-burning technologies.

To offset the emissions, WP&L, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, said it would shut down an aging coal plant, increase spending on energy efficiency programs by 50 percent, increase its use of wind power and the amount of wood chips, cornstalks and switchgrass that would be burned at its new coal plant.

Alliant, which describes the coal plant as a “hybrid” because it would burn coal and renewable resources, doubled its commitment to renewable energy last week saying it would burn up to 20 percent biomass.

In a report last year, Alliant said its carbon dioxide emissions were projected to rise by 38 percent between 2006 and 2015. The company now says those figures are out of date.

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