Posted on 07/26/2007 7:56:38 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada sent a letter this week to four companies telling them not to build planned coal-burning power plants in his state.
Reid's letter, dated Monday, was addressed to the corporate leaders of the Sierra Pacific Resources, private equity LS Power Group, Dynegy Inc. and Sithe Global Power LLC. A copy of the letter was obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
"I am writing to each of you regarding your company's proposal to build new coal-fired power plants in eastern Nevada and to express my strong opposition to those plants," Reid wrote.
The Democratic senator said he will use his influential post in Congress to keep coal plants out of Nevada.
"Because I believe that developing renewable energy in Nevada is far preferable to coal for the sake of our economy, public health and the environment, I will use every means at my disposal to prevent the construction of new coal-fired power plants in Nevada that do not capture and permanently store greenhouse gas emissions," Reid wrote.
Reid said he'd rather have the state focus on renewable power and energy efficiency. He also opposes nuclear power for Nevada and the Yucca Mountain site in the state for storage of nuclear waste.
Reid said "the state's demand for energy can be met largely through new renewable energy, energy efficiency and demand-side management."
That's just unrealistic in a fast-growing state where power use is on the rise, particularly in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, said Frank Maisano of energy company advocate Bracewell & Giuliani LLP.
"Given the massive growth in the region, (Reid's letter) is probably not reflective of reality to say we are not going to build any new coal plants," said Maisano, acting as spokesman for Sithe Global, which is owned by the Blackstone Group's Blackstone Capital Partners (80 percent) and Reservoir Capital Group (20 percent.
"Senator Reid is also opposed to nuclear power, so I don't know how they are going to meet Nevada's growing power needs," Maisano said.
About 70 percent of the power generated in Nevada is from natural gas-fired plants and 13 percent by coal-fired plants, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. There are no nuclear power plants in Nevada.
Coal-fired plants account for 50 percent of U.S. electricity generation, nuclear power for 20 percent, and natural gas-fired plants for 18 percent.
Good point. If the ultimate destination for the power is California, Californians should not be exporting the environmental effects of their lifestyle and immigration policy.
Reid is opposed to anything that might help America
Reid is as much of an expert on power generation as Hitler was on genetics. This is Reid's contribution to National Socialism - the state will dictate the output of the factors of production.
Is there such a thing a Nevadacide? Reid seems to be a candidate.
No coal, no nuclear, no gas-fired.
What’s left, Harry? Have fun in the dark ya tard.
“I dont know how they are going to meet Nevadas growing power needs”
Didn’t you go to Democrat Finishing School?
Electricity is magicly created when the switch is turned to “ON”. If they just cover the desert with reflectors, they’ll have all the electricity they need!!
(Of course, all that reflected sunlight will COOL the environment, leading to clouds, less Solar Production, massive die-off, etc. But that will be the NEXT Generations problem, not today’s Socialists.)
“demand-side management.”
TRANSLATION-
Those that send me BIG checks (Casinos, Indian Reservations)get the power, YOU do not.
That’s nice.
~But, what do the voters of Nevada want and what does their legislature say?
Our Equestrian Class in the Senate needs a peg-dropping.
They aren’t Roman nobles even if they think they are. ~And this ain’t Rome. Yet.
Reality is not a prerequisite for a liberal democrat to be elected.
Et tu ___????
Boy! This is going to piss off my democrat inlaws out in Utah. They are all pipefitters who have spent most of their adult lives moving from one powerplant project to another. This strikes at the heart of their democrat souls — their union and pocketbook. Holy crap Batman! If Reid cuts off their money flow they might try to come live with me! Now that would piss me off.
“Et tu ___????”
We need a Cincinnatus. It would take someone like him to clean the stables and restore the country.
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