California legislature passes bill to limit coal-fired power

MarketWatch ^ | Aug. 31, 2006 | Mark Golden

[FairOpinion]

As expected, the California Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would limit purchases of electricity from coal-fired power plants by the state's electric utilities and large companies.

The bill, passed previously by the state Assembly, now moves to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is expected to sign it. A separate measure to limit greenhouse gas emissions among all heavy industry is also expected to be passed Thursday.

Together, the two steps would make California by far the most active state in combating global warming. The electricity measure, Senate Bill 1368, would prohibit new long-term contracts for basic power supplies from coal-fired generating stations, at least until such power plants install equipment that would greatly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. California doesn't have any coal-fired plants, but its utilities get about 20% of their supplies from coal-fired plants in other western states.

[goldstategop]

None of what's happening couldn't be possible if Arnold VETOED this stuff. The buck stops here.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[Carry_Okie]

Which sponsors?

The big time donors to the NRDC who wrote Arnold's environmental plan.

Here's how it works (read the whole post).

[goldstategop]

Are you saying this is a payoff to the NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY?? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[Carry_Okie]

And more. I suggest you read the post.

[dancusa]

...when black-outs and brown-outs inevitably come, they think its a conspiracy.

They will just blame Bush.

[politicalwit]

Actually, it was El Paso Gas they sued.

[babble-on]

California produces next to no electricity from coal. This whole thread is a joke.

[Carry_Okie]

California produces next to no electricity from coal.

California BUYS electricity produced from coal that is produced out of state and imports the power.

[goldstategop]

A lot of fingers in the pot. From powerful vested interests.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[DocRock]

"Why don't they just declare that they are shutting down all industry in the state and people can start to become hunters and gatherers, except they are opposed to hunting too."

I guess because some parts of California have outlawed the use of fireplaces. You can't cook the meat. Sushi anyone?

[FairOpinion]

"California doesn't have any coal-fired plants, but its utilities get about 20% of their supplies from coal-fired plants in other western states."

They want to force coal-fired plants OUTSIDE of CA to adhere to their insane requirements, where the technology isn't even available.

As I said, the CA Dems went off the deep end.

[Gator113]

This is nuts!!!

Other states should vote to no longer supply California with ANY power.

California is going to be known as the first state to go back to wiping their collective a$$es with leaves.

[red-dawg]

This isn't a problem. Everybody will leave once they pass the Universal Healthcare Bill.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1693444/posts

Nobody will be there to use any electricity anyway.

[goldstategop]

Which they couldn't have done without the active comradeship of the Liberalinator.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

[FairOpinion]

Or they all die from lack of healthcare, which will universally NOT be provided.

Fortunately Arnold will veto that bill.

I wish he would veto this insanity too.

[DocRock]

I'm reminded of "Atlas Shrugged".

[Carry_Okie]

Yup, the solar cell producers (big investors in Arnold) need high power prices to cover the cost of producing the cells.

Lots of players in this pie.

[kittymyrib]

I certainly don't think TX and OK and WY should be sending CA natural gas for all their power generating. TX and OK and WY should keep it for themselves. Let CA do without power. Then their air ought to be really clean, since there would be no reason to travel to a job either in a fossil-fuel car.

[Carry_Okie]

California buys coal fired power from Arizona, and hydro from Oregon and even Washington BPA was a prime player in gaming the California power crisis of 2002). IIRC, there are also plants being built in Mexico to get past US air pollution requirements with explicit plans to sell power to California.

[Amerigomag]

You'd have thunk that at least one person on Carter's staff would have penciled out that acronym before going public.

Gore has adopted the concept and now the Austrian may join this merry band if he signs the legislation.

I don't feel like an enemy combatant as I warm up my dinner but I'm certain that SB 1368 isn't going to hold the line on taxation.

I'm just another victim of the cat's MEOW.