Vol. 2, No. 13
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May 1, 2005
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CRIMINAL DEFENSE |
COPYWRITING
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Coal-Fired Power Plants Raise Concerns East And West
Plant Near Gerlach Opposed By Many; Plant Near Ely Barely Raises Eyebrows
by Johnny Gunn
Public hearings are scheduled to begin this month according to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as Sempra Energy Company continues its quest to build a 1,450 megawatt coal-fired power plant near the Black Rock Desert in northern Washoe County. The first order of business will be an environmental impact statement (EIS). According to Adrian Freund, Community Development Director for Washoe County, "there will be a strong County voice in the development of that EIS."
Freund went on to say, "This doesn't mean we approve of the project, or disapprove, it means we will have the ability to review and have input in the entire process." The Washoe County Commission acted to become a cooperating agency for the EIS.
There is considerable opposition to what's being called The Granite Fox power plant. To be built near Gerlach, it would also be very close to the annual Burning Man Festival. Sempra Energy is a San Diego, California company that plans to bring rail and highway service to the plant from California, and then sell the power to California. Most of the opposition right now is centered in the small desert community of Gerlach, about 110 miles north of Reno.
According to sources near Sempra, the plant would provide enough electricity to power about 1.5 million homes in California. The Sempra plant and others like it are supported by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and others. Sempra currently has about two dozen projects underway from New Mexico and Arizona to Nevada, Idaho and Montana. They are planning two coal-fired plants in Texas as well.
Sempra has also been very active in developing electric generating plants using liquefied natural gas (LGN). Natural gas is brought from its natural gaseous state into a liquid form by super cooling. This allows for storage of large amounts of the liquid. In its gaseous state, storage is difficult at best. Liquefied natural gas also brings with it serious safety problems in that a leak of any kind puts much more natural gas in the atmosphere than a leak from a gaseous state.
There is considerable geothermal activity near the site of the planned Gerlach power plant and many environmentalists have been promoting the possibility of geothermal plants being built in the area. One of the problems with the coal-fired plant is, it would use most of the capacity of a Pacific DC Intertie transmission line that runs from near Portland, Oregon to Los Angeles. The geothermal plant coupled to a proposed wind generating power plant could provide electricity to about 1.2 million homes.
One study of the area said about 1,800 megawatts of geothermal and wind power might be generated in the area, but if the coal-fired plant is built, there would only be capacity for about 200 megawatts from the renewable sources. A group calling itself Nevada Clean Energy Coalition says the current intertie isn't capable of supporting both power plants. The coalition is made up of environmentalists including the Sierra Club, local business owners, ranchers, and other interested parties.
One source said, "Building that coal-fired power plant would be the same, as far as air pollution goes, as adding two million cars to Nevada's highways."
Meetings have been held in Gerlach in opposition to the plant. A major east west rail line runs through Gerlach, and Sempra is looking to build a spur to its plant to bring in trainloads of coal. Access roads would have to be built as well as transmission lines and water pipelines. There is major concern for air pollution, and for water consumption in the desert area.
According to Washoe County Manager Katy Singlaub, joining in the EIS process "gives the county an official role in the preparation of the document." She further says, "this is important because of the county's extensive permitting authorities that might be required for the project." Many special use permits would be required, she says, and the county will be prepared.
The plant site is located on private property, but would require extensive permitting for roads, spur lines, and water lines. The EIS is expected to be completed by the first part of 2006 according to Freund. Coal-fired plants traditionally put tons of impurities in the air, but according to Sempra officials, the plant uses advanced technology that will reduce the amount of pollution. Actual figures for the amount of coal to be burned or the amount of pollution to be spewed into the desert air wasn't available from Sempra.
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White Pine Power Plant Draws Praise, Not Contempt
A proposed coal-fired power plant in Ely could bring much needed employment to White Pine County according to local officials, and at the same time create a situation where Sierra Pacific Power Company and Nevada Power could be connected through intrastate transmission lines. It would be the first time the companies, owned by Sierra Pacific Resources would be able to share power. Company officials say this could bring a saving in power costs, and reduce the possibility of one or the other of the companies having power shortages.
White Pine Energy Associates has an option to purchase Idaho Power's land and permit rights, giving them an interstate transmission line from Idaho into Nevada. Right of way grants were issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1994 for what is called the Southwest Interior Project (SWIP), a 500-mile line from near Twin Falls, Idaho to what's called the Dry Lake area northeast of Las Vegas. This would allow Nevada Power to connect to a line from which Sierra Power would also be using.
A company from New Jersey, LS Power Associates, is planning to build a coal-fired power plant near Ely and will use their existing rail line to ship coal to the plant. LS Power Associates has formed White Pine Energy Associates in Ely. The rail line is in place between Elko and Ely, and White Pine County authorities say the line could also be used for passenger and tourist transportation. The rail line could also inject the possibility of other light industries coming to beleaguered White Pine County.
The power plant could generate between 600 and 1.6 megawatts of power. The combination of a power plant and an interstate/intrastate transmission line compliments what Governor Kenny Guinn helped put together recently with the governors of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. That line called the Frontier Line, is a 1300 mile intertie between the states, relieving some of the power problems that were faced in western states during the Enron created power shortages of two years ago.
As many as 600 jobs might be created during the construction phases of the transmission lines and the power plant. White Pine Energy expects much of the construction to be completed by 2010. Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) are already in progress and should be completed before the end of the year.
White Pine County has been struggling recently because of mining company shut downs, and the loss of the JC Penney store. The community got together and created a mercantile store that opened during the Christmas holidays this last year. Reports out of Ely indicate the store is very successful and is fully funded.
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