Cliffside power plant construction draws more discussion

subscribe

Welchel Road resident Roger Hollis said his backyard sounds like a train riding through it every morning.

He's hearing noise from construction at Duke Energy's Cliffside steam station. Once construction is complete — probably in 2012 — the company plans to shut down four units that were built in the 1940s.

A handful of people stood in a small area on Duke Power Road to protest the coal-fired plant and construction.

"It's a symbolic gesture," said Abby Gage, one of the organizers.

Gage is a farmer from Madison County and brought along her son, Alexander, 7, for the protest.

"The cost of building a coal-fired power plant is going up," she said. "The cost of solar wind power is going down."

Protests are nothing new at the Cliffside location, with arrests happening on the property in the past when protestors chained themselves to equipment.

Earlier, environmentalist groups joined together for a march at Duke Energy's Charlotte headquarters.

Hollis was not involved in the protest, but stopped by to share his support.

"I feel like the people living here are being done a total injustice," he said. "They just say what they are not going to do."

Joyce Norman, who lives nearby, said she doesn't have a problem with the plant or construction. She has lived in her home on Duke Power Road for more than 50 years.

"Whether it's coal or electric, we have to have power," she said.

Bill Conner, who lives about five miles away, is also in favor of the plant. "We always used coal before and never hurt us before," he said. "You don't have enough wind to keep things turning."

Related News

powerlines

Federal net-zero electricity regulations will permit some natural gas power generation

OTTAWA - After facing pushback from Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada's draft net-zero electricity regulations — released today — will permit some natural gas power generation. 

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault released Ottawa's proposed Clean Electricity Regulations on Thursday.

Provinces and territories will have a minimum 75-day window to comment on the draft regulations. The final rules are intended to pave the way to a net-zero power grid in Canada by 2035. 

Calling the regulations "technology neutral," Guilbeault said the federal government believes there's enough flexibility to accommodate the different energy needs of Canada's diverse provinces and territories. 

"What we're talking about…

READ MORE
net zero

Net-zero roadmap can cut electricity costs by a third in Germany - Wartsila

READ MORE

ontario rate relief

Ontario Extends Off-Peak Electricity Rates to Provide Relief for Families, Small Businesses and Farms

READ MORE

sask power lines

SaskPower to buy more electricity from Manitoba Hydro

READ MORE

Germany's Energy Crisis Deepens as Local Utilities Cry for Help

READ MORE