Clean Coal? No Such Thing

A new Midwest coal plant marketed as a source for cheap, clean energy is expected to raise utility bills and be the largest source of carbon dioxide in a quarter century, says The Chicago Tribune. “As the Prairie State Energy Campus rises out of a Downstate field, its price tag already has more than doubled to $4.4 billion — costs that will largely be borne by municipalities. The communities are locked into 28-year contracts that will require higher electricity rates to cover the construction overruns, documents and interviews show. Municipal officials told the Tribune they expect costs to soar even higher before the plant begins operating next year. Then there are the environmental costs of the project, which was designed by St. Louis-based Peabody Energy, the world’s largest private coal company.”