Thursday, July 21, 2011

Sierra Club's $50M windfall to boost NC wind power

Today's $50 million commitment by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's philanthropy to the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign will be used in North Carolina to promote offshore wind, a spokeswoman says.

The Sierra campaign aims to "end the coal era" and usher in cleaner technology. The billionaire Bloomberg appeared for today's announcement outside a coal-fired power plant in Alexandria, Va.

In North Carolina, an unspecified increase in Sierra staffers will develop "new, innovative strategies to hasten deployment of offshore wind," said spokeswoman Jenna Garland.

Environmental advocates despise coal power for its pollution, vast releases of carbon dioxide and the damage caused by mountaintop-removal mining in the Appalachians. Sierra claims credit for derailing plans for more than 150 new coal plants, although it didn't stop Duke Energy from building two new plants in North Carolina and Indiana.

Duke and Progress Energy plan to shut down many of their older coal-fired plants in the Carolinas as environmental standards stiffen.

Bloomberg's money will expand Sierra's anti-coal campaign from 15 to 45 states and double the number of staff members assigned to 200 people.

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, an industry group that includes neither Duke nor Progress, quickly pounced. ACCCE said the Sierra plan would raise electric rates and kill jobs.

“Rather than demonize an important national strategic resource, Mayor Bloomberg should be using his millions to push for a balanced energy policy that utilizes all our domestic sources of energy including coal,” the group said.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's watch to see if the government's rules for them will be different than it was for Duke when they ended up giving up on wind turbines due to ever increasing government required studies. One study was going to require 2 years to do.

BH said...

Wind power-the ultimate NIMBY energy source. We'll see how development actually goes.

Wiley Coyote said...

Be careful contributing to these groups, especially the Sierra Club.

They want everyone to think they're all about saving trees and the environment but they get involved in politics such as immigration, using economic terrorism against American companies by issuing and joining boycotts.

Anonymous said...

"...using economic terrorism against American companies by issuing and joining boycotts."

Kind of like the Baptists!

Anonymous said...

In respnse to Wiley Coyote. It's worse than that. They coerce our Government.

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/07/15/15greenwire-house-republicans-accuse-epa-enviros-of-collus-69925.html?amp

Anonymous said...

Here's how they are doing it on the Outer Banks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUFn6...eature=related

ON BOARD said...

YES, be very cautious of Sierra Club. I used to be a supporter but found out the real side of this group. They are not problem solvers, they only want to create problems. They are merely a high profile special interest group that has way too much money and influence. I genuinely wish they would be part of the solution and not be the problem. Fortunately the vast majority of our elected officials are now seeing them in the real light and give them little to no credibility.

Anonymous said...

John Muir is rolling around in his grave. Lovely large white metal windmills to mar the landscape, with little or any realistic contribution to power generation .. . ask the Europeans (if they are honest)