Letter off the table after outcry about coal-fired plant
Missoula Drops Proposal to Buy Power From Electric City Power
By Jessica Mayrer, 8-28-07
The Missoula City Council Monday approved Mayor John Engen’s motion to officially withdraw a proposal for purchasing energy from a Great Falls public power company with plans to build a coal-fired power plant.
Nearly three weeks ago, after getting the city council’s approval, Engen signed a non-binding letter of intent to buy energy from Electric City Power, Inc. He cited the benefits of buying energy from the local non-profit and a potential savings of up to $70,000 per year.
Since then, the move has drawn opposition over Electric City Power’s plans to build a coal-fired power plant near Highwood and the potential environmental impacts.
“I have heard relentlessly from the constituents that they don’t like the idea,” Engen said.
Since signing the letter of intent, Engen examined the non-profit power supplier further and found the potential environmental impacts of Electric City’s planned coal-fired Highwood Generating System worrisome, he said.
Electric City plans on putting the Highwood Plant online in 2011. And while it would use new, cleaner coal-burning technology, even that would emit destructive greenhouse gasses, critics said.
Engen took the letter off the table as the deadline looms to change providers or stay put. The Montana Legislature passed a bill this year that partially re-regulates power in Montana and requires large consumers, like Missoula, to decide who will supply their energy before October 1, 2007.
If the Garden City doesn’t find a new power supplier before October 1, it must stick it out with Northwestern Energy. But if Missoula does switch, it retains an option to return to Northwestern. No other offers have been publicly discussed.
Northwestern Energy currently uses coal-fired plants. About ¾ of Montana’s electricity now comes from coal, said Councilman Don Nicholson.
Meanwhile, other Montana cities are looking at their options as the clock ticks on the October deadline. The Helena city commissioners appear poised to turn down Electric City’s offer, representatives from Bozeman rejected considering the proposal and Great Falls commissioners will vote on Tuesday night.
For now, Missoula will continue struggling with the issue.
“We need to find other ways to deliver electricity.” Councilwoman Heidi Kendall said, “Because the old ways aren’t working for us.”
The vote to withdraw the letter passed unanimously on a voice vote Monday night, with a few council members passing.
Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.
Comments
Add your comment below
It should not be inferred from that action that the commission thinks NWE has been or will be beneficial for the state, or that the legislature's attempts to create a captive market for NWE is a good thing, either.
The environmental controversy isn't worth buying into, as much as locally owned power generation is a good idea.
Thanks for the updated. What was the vote?
We do support publicly owned power, both generation and transmission. I don't buy into all of Bob Raney's arguments. I do think public utilities have a place. We all do.
I respect City Manager Lawton and his interest in public power. I just think we learned from Missoula's experience. We owe John Engen one for taking the heat. He went first this time and we got to benefit from that discussion and his open and honest change of heart.
Ty: Gas at $5 a gallon doesn't seem out of the question. I do think about that and the alternatives, especially when I walk to work.
Ty, mostly what I think about is my children's future because I worry that they face a post oil apocalypse where the lack of energy causes severe economic and societal disruptions. In that future, locally generated power will be critical to sustainability. I certainly hope Bozeman permits it's dam and cogenerates electricity along with protecting it's water supply.
That worry argued for supporting Great Falls. But the public, all over the state, argued against it. I didn't want Bozeman sucked into that controversy.
In addition, I thought our share of the risk of building and paying for the plant and it's method of producing energy outweighed the current projected return in cost savings.
Set as high a set of standards as is correct, recognizing price impacts but also recognizing the opportunity to have better control of the environment and of our energy sources).
After all, who is watching the environment re: "old" coal and "old" (heavily foreign) oil, let alone the socio-economic impacts that accompany those "business as usual" agreements.
Be progressive!!!