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By Linda Sekura
 At the end of October, the City of Cleveland’s City Council
voted to sign an agreement with AMP-Ohio, who has been supplying
Cleveland Public Power with coal-fired power for years. This agreement
will be for (among other things) 50 years worth of coal and, hand-in-hand
with other towns in Ohio, will help build a new coal plant in southern
Ohio on the Ohio River. Cleveland has until March 1, 2008 to back
out of the agreement.
To briefly state the two “sides” to the main controversy:
Cleveland’s decision-makers feel they need the coal to provide
guaranteed base load utility power, and to keep Cleveland Public
Power in business - to provide low rates to Cleveland power consumers
and to keep NOPEC (Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council - a multi-city
aggregate power purchasing group) going. Environmental groups,
including Sierra Club, feel that energy efficiency can greatly
reduce energy generation needs, that there are many other alternatives
to coal in much less than 50 years, and that coal impacts and contributions
to climate change are too pressing of a danger.
AMP-Ohio may attempt to use CO2 capture technology, but there
remains a question as to whether it will be available soon, and
whether it will actually be used. AMP-Ohio also says they would
actually be replacing an older “higher CO2 emission” plant
(Gorsuch) - shutting it down when the new plant is built. According
to Ned Ford, the state-level Sierra Club Energy Chair, the new
plant will increase power generation over and above that of Gorsuch,
so CO2 will actually increase. Also, any new pollution controls
on the new plant increases the energy needed to run the control
technology.
Ned also states that the costs presented by AMP-Ohio/CPP may have
been too low, considering that skyrocketing materials and labor
costs have tripled the base cost of a new coal plant from just
four or five years ago. Plus, costs to comply with upcoming Clean
Air regulations were not adequately considered.
Due to input gained from letters and during meetings, including
a four-hour hearing in Cleveland with City Council and CPP, Cleveland
is hiring consultants to take another look at the true costs of
coal power and other options.
Many environmental and other nonprofit groups are involved in
meetings, discussions, research, etc. All involved in the nonprofit
and government sectors are determining the future of Cleveland’s
power, and possibly Ohio’s place in the new energy infrastructure
for the next 5 decades. According to Ned Ford, “If we don't
have a 2% reduction of CO2 in place globally in five years we will
not be able to keep atmospheric CO2 below 450 ppm. It's that simple.”
By the time this article comes into your home, much in this situation
will have changed, but we will still be nearly 2 months before
the March 1 deadline. We hope that many more people will continue
to stay informed about this situation, and to get involved to help
determine the course of our energy future.
NEO Sierra contacts:
Bob
Greenbaum, Tom
Pirko, Linda
Sekura.
Photo: Rick Stegeman
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The City of Cleveland's 
Do you know of a local environmental issue in need
of attention? Do you have inside information on what's
going on in your city or township? With over 5,000
members in Northeast Ohio we count on you to be the
Club's eyes and ears of the region. While the Federal
government and large corporations continue to wreak
havoc on our environment, it is more important than
ever before to act as watchdogs in our own backyards.
For those new to
calling state or federal representatives, it's easier and
less confrontational than it sounds. You will never
speak directly with your rep or senator - an aide
will answer the phone, take brief notes plus your name and city (sometimes), and that's it.