No coal plant for Marshalltown either

[Cairycat]

http://timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/515094.html?nav=5005

"In a stunning reversal of fortunes for the city of Marshalltown and surrounding area, Interstate Power and Light, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, announced it is scrapping plans to build a $1.5-billion coal power plant in the city."

...

"Had we received what we had asked for, I think we would still be looking at a way to get to yes," said Tom Aller, president of IPL.

Aller mentioned several factors as reasons why the plans for the plant were canceled. In addition to the rate decision from the IUB, he said an elongated air quality permit process, along with pending litigation by outside groups, also played roles. Further, he said the national climate, with talk of carbon penalties and banning coal plants, further destabilized the situation."

...

"The IPL president also mentioned that not all hope was lost for the community. There is a Plan B that does not involve coal, but rather wind and natural gas electrical generation, or perhaps a combination of those two. While he could not say Marshalltown would be the site of that future plant, perhaps worth $750 million, the city may be on a very short list of candidate locations."

It is certainly true that Marshalltown could really have used the jobs the coal plant would have brought, but all in all, I personally feel this is good news for people who breathe. Many would like to blame "environuts" and "evil liberals" for this and the once-proposed, now-scrapped Cedar Valley coal plant not moving forward. But why does it have to only be coal? It would be great for projects like those mentioned in the last paragraph I quoted to receive stimulus money.

[pstans]

1. Not really that stunning

Considering the economy, the requirements added by the DNR to produce a certain amount of power from biomass, and Alliant getting a 10% rate of return when they asked for 12.5% it isn't that surprising at all.

[Cairycat]

2. Well, that's

Ken Black's florid prose for ya. I wonder what Paul Norris would say about his writing?

Cairycat, daughter of a T-R reporter (when it was a pretty good paper, especially for a town the size of Marshalltown)