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Meredith

My work plan:

• I intend to write a letter to a local politician concerning the coal plants they intend to build in Marshalltown and Waterloo.
• I will collaborate with Allison to write a seasonal, local foods cookbook.

Dear Governor Culver,

It is my understanding that the Interstate Power and Light Company proposed the construction of two coal power plants in Marshalltown and Waterloo, Iowa. As a resident Iowan, I believe that it is my responsibility to express my concern regarding this potential construction.

In their application, the Interstate Power and Light Company speculates that over the next few years, current power plants will fail to meet the energy demands of existing and planned ethanol and biodiesel plants. However, according to Neil Harl’s economic analysis at Iowa State, additional power plants will be unnecessary given the current state of ethanol production.

As the ethanol industry experienced great success, demand increased, and producers raced to meet production needs. More people entered the industry, creating a greater demand for more ethanol plants. Due to a steep increase in demand, the cost to construct these power houses also rose. As more ethanol was produced, manufacturers generated an increase in demand for inputs, and consequently, the price of corn rose from $2/bushel to $4/bushel. Unfortunately, supply quickly overwhelmed demand, and overproduction caused the price of ethanol to drop from around $2.50/gallon a few years ago to about $1.50/gallon today. Therefore, additional ethanol plants are unnecessary; they will not survive in today’s stilted market. As a result, additional power plants will also be unnecessary.

Furthermore, I believe that energy demand and consumption is greater than it should be today. By using energy more wisely and efficiently, Iowans can lower the demand for energy, and consequently, market supply will naturally decrease to meet our reduced needs. Therefore, by being more conscious consumers, we will eliminate the need for more power plants. I would like to see more action within the political realm to support efficient energy consumption. Additionally, if growth incurs a need for more energy production, I would like to see policy initiatives that encourage the shift to renewables.

Although I believe that energy demands will not exceed supply in the near future, if we are indeed confronted with greater energy needs, we must go about producing energy alternatives rather than turning to coal energy. Coal energy has massive cost externalities in the form of environmental and health costs. There is no such thing as clean coal; coal plants emit 36% of the United States’ overall releases of carbon dioxide, the main culprit in global warning. Even if one disagrees with the assertion that global warming is taking place, we cannot deny the fact that coal plants produce other deadly emissions, including sulfur dioxide, mercury, and nitrogen oxides. These toxins contribute to at least 24,000 premature deaths a year in the US alone. Therefore, while considering the construction of new coal plants, we must acknowledge the environmental and health compromises that are being made. A more accurate cost benefit analysis can only take place with the inclusion of these externalities, when we consider the cost to society rather than simply making a decision based on costs to the generating firm.

If we construct these coal plants, we will lock Iowa taxpayers into 20-50 years of payments regardless of whether the plants are necessary in the future. Furthermore, once the plants are built, we will be precluded from investing in cleaner ways of generating power, such as through renewables and efficiency. I am asking you to consider the resources we have at our fingertips here in Iowa. We have rich energy alternatives including wind and solar energy. Iowa is the 10th largest producer of wind in the nation, and we would be foolish to not take this opportunity. Likewise, solar energy is an abundant, dependable resource that is largely untapped at this point. Why would we poison and impoverish our soils, air, and water before making use of these valuable alternatives? Renewables are ready for widespread adoption today. Let us take the money we would use to construct coal plants and invest in renewables instead. No one will applaud Iowa for being a world leader in the production of coal energy, but we have extraordinary potential to become leaders in the growing clean energy economy

I hope that you will take a strong position on this subject and fight against the construction of coal plants in Iowa while promoting a safer, healthier environment for all to enjoy. Thank you for your consideration.

Best,