Coloradans Push Back On Trump Trying To Force Coal On Them

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The Trump administration’s efforts to force coal and other dirty fossil fuels on Americans while blocking solar and wind energy projects are so blatant and obvious that there’s really no debate what’s going on. There are some lame excuses being trotted out, though.

In Colorado, as in some other places, the Trump administration has been claiming an “emergency” need to keep old, dirty coal power plants running. Of course, that’s nonsense, especially since the same administration is stopping renewable energy projects from being built that were already approved.

Some Colorado legislators have decided they are not up for the nonsense and are pushing back. “Today legislators introduced HB26-1226 aimed at reducing the impact of the Department of Energy’s 202(c) dubious ’emergency’ order to keep the Craig 1 coal unit operating past its planned retirement date at the end of 2025,” the Sierra Club wrote yesterday. “That executive order could cost ratepayers up to $85 million annually, according to one analysis.”

In addition, “a Sierra Club analysis [found that] 202(c) coal plant orders have already cost Americans over $225 million and counting.”

“Coloradans should know how much that is costing them and not have to breathe the dirty air for someone else’s profit,”said State Representative Jenny Wilford. “There is no justification for these emergency coal orders and it is only worsening the nation’s affordability crisis, so we have to step in and protect our state.” Indeed. Exactly.

“The Trump administration is taking an axe to basic protections of our air, water and climate and this time, they are pushing the impacts even further by punishing Coloradans with higher energy prices,” added Margaret Kran-Annexstein, Director of Sierra Club Colorado. “We urgently need laws like this to protect our state against the high price — both financial and environmental – the federal government is trying to foist on us. Supporting this bill is an open opportunity for Colorado legislators to show that they are fighting against Trump’s consistent attacks on our state and its ability to manage its own future. HB26-1226 presents a clear opportunity for the state to push back on the Trump administration’s  overreach in Colorado’s energy future, and we look forward to working with lawmakers who will stand against the federal government’s actions.”

The bill has a multi-pronged approach to the matter. “If signed into law, the bill would require more transparency on the costs incurred from running coal units past their retirement dates, direct the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to approve new resources to help the state reach its 2030 climate targets and require modern pollution controls for any coal plants operating after 2030. […]

“In the event that coal plants are extended into the 2030s, this bill:

• Achieves significant reductions in air pollution that harms public health
• Ensures transparency in the costs to meet federal mandates to keep coal plants online against the will of utilities and State regulators
• Prevents unnecessary costs of keeping inefficient and expensive coal online to ratepayers
• Supports Colorado’s clean energy and climate goals while maintaining reliability”

Frankly, it’s completely ridiculous that any of this should have to be brought up and that there’s even the issue of being forced to keep old, dirty, expensive coal power plants online. What an embarrassment of a federal government we have these days.

“The Colorado coal units still operating in the state have been scheduled for retirement for many years in alignment with the state’s clean energy goals,“ said State Senator Mike Weissman.“However, the Trump Department of Energy is using a 202(c) ’emergency’ order to turn years of careful planning on its head. This will result in increased air pollution, higher energy costs, and a delay in achieving our renewable energy goals. This legislation gives the state tools to address these impacts.”

It’s just crazy that the people of Colorado have to fight the US government to shut down polluting, expensive coal power plants. “Elected leaders were sent to the Capitol with specific goals of reducing the state’s climate pollution and shepherding a more affordable clean energy economy,” added State Representative Meg Froelich.”Unfortunately we now find ourselves on the defensive from the very agencies that just a few years ago were promoting clean energy and providing Coloradans with affordable energy options.” Too true, too true.