Opposite side of the Atlantic, same story this week. They are playing out in the UK and in Massachusetts over plans by utilities to build, or to keep running, coal-fired power plants. Efficient they may be, and inexpensive, but to many it is nonsensical to invest big money in electricity from plants that send CO2 from coal combustion into the air.

In the UK, a local government authority has green-lighted such a plant in Kent.

Stories:

BBC notes it would be the first new UK coal plant in 24 years ; Reuters ups the ante and reports it’s the first in more than 30 years ; The Guardian Terry Macalister (ditto 30 yrs) reports this is a billion-pound-Sterling project, and that’s even more Euros ; Times Angela Jameson puts the time lag as 34 but the dek says 20 years and this just shows why don’t base your class papers on just one article, kiddies.

In Massachusetts, the tiff is over proposed legislation to allow modernization of a plant without provision for sequestration of the CO2.

Stories:

Boston Globe Robert Gavin , who notes that one big impact would be a likely new lease on life for a large plant in Somerset. It would convert from burning raw coal to coal or “plasma” gasification first ;

The Globe also ran a notable Op-Ed this week by NASA Climatologist James Hansen stoutly condemning any regulatory encouragement of coal use that does not include carbon capture and sequestration. “Tipping point” comes up.

Related Energy Policy News: This is a long-unfolding and incremental story, but pertinent to this post. California and other states filed a new round of suits against the EPA and its administrator for not signing waivers to allow states to set up their own rules for cutting automotive and other CO2 emissions;

A few examples:

Los Angeles Times Margot Roosevelt ; SF Chronicle Bob Egelko ; New York Times Felicity Barringer ; Arizona Republic Matthew Benson ; San Diego Union-Tribune Michael Gardner ; AP Samantha Young ;

Grist for the Mill: Calif. Atty Gen’l Jerry Brown Press Release ;

-CP

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