Clean-coal tax credits going to federal court

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two North Carolina environmental groups have sued federal officials over $1 billion in "clean coal" tax credits for nine power plants, including two of Duke Energy's.

The groups, Boone-based Appalachian Voices and the Canary Coalition of Sylva, claim the government illegally awarded the credits without studying the plants' environmental impact. The groups filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

They named as plaintiffs Energy Secretary Samuel Brodman, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and two other Energy officials. In 2006 the department gave $62.5 million in clean-coal credits to Duke's Cliffside plant, which will add an advanced-design generating unit, and $133.5 million to Duke's new coal-gasification plant in Edwardsport, Ind.

Other plants getting credits are n Mississippi, Kentucky, California, Texas and Florida. The groups argue that the tax credits constitute "major federal actions" that require the government to hold environmental studies of the plants. Environmentalists say coal mining and coal-fired power plants do widespread damage, from scraping Appalachian mountaintops to releasing planet-warming carbon dioxide. Recently, they fought permits to expand the Cliffside plant.

"There's no such thing as clean coal as long as our mountains are getting clear-cut, blown up and bulldozed down," Appalachian Voices director Mary Anne Hitt said in a statement.

The Energy Department did not return calls. Duke spokeswoman Marilyn Lineberger said the company is "confident that the Department of Energy and Department of the Treasury carefully evaluated our applications" before awarding the tax breaks to Duke's plants.

Related News

niagara falls adam beck station

Niagara Falls Powerhouse Gets a Billion-Dollar Upgrade for the 21st Century

TORONTO - Ontario's iconic Sir Adam Beck hydroelectric generating station in Niagara is set to undergo a massive, billion-dollar refurbishment. The project will significantly boost the power station's capacity and extend its lifespan, ensuring a reliable supply of clean energy for decades to come.


A Century of Power Generation

The Sir Adam Beck generating stations have played a pivotal role in Ontario's power grid for over a century. The first generating station, Sir Adam Beck I, went online in 1922, followed by Sir Adam Beck II in 1954. A third station, the Sir Adam Beck Pump Generating Station,…

READ MORE
offshore windpower

Covid-19 crisis hits solar and wind energy industry

READ MORE

wind power

Europe's stunted hydro & nuclear output may hobble recovery drive

READ MORE

Renewables Surpass Coal in India's Energy Capacity Shift

Renewables Surpass Coal in India's Energy Capacity Shift

READ MORE

powerlines

The German economy used to be the envy of the world. What happened?

READ MORE