Environmental Law & Policy Center » Chicago Clean Energy

Victory! Chicago Coal Plants to Shut Down

Kcoleman — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:09:28 +0000

Victory! Chicago Coal Plants to Shut Down

After more than a decade of advocacy by ELPC and our many allies in the Chicago Clean Power Coalition, two of the oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants in the nation will close. The Fisk plant in Pilsen will shut down later this year and the Crawford plant in Little Village will shut down in 2014.

For more than 10 years, ELPC has provided the legal counsel to the effort to shut down these damaging plants. This effort has included active participation in the Chicago Clean Power Coalition, a ground-breaking grassroots campaign to make Chicago coal-free.

For more information, please see the Chicago Clean Power Coalition Press Release, some victory celebration photos on our Flickr page, and media coverage from:

Associated Press: Deal to Shut Chicago’s 2 Coal-Fired Plants Reached
Crain’s Chicago Business: City’s Last 2 Coal-Fired Power Plants to Close; Waukegan Could Be Next
Chicago Tribune: 2 Coal-Burning Plants to Power Down Early
ABC7 Chicago: Chicago’s 2 Coal-Fired Plants to Close
Chicago Sun-Times: Editorial – Credit Grass-Roots Effort for Victory Over Pollution
NBC5 Chicago: Residents Rejoice Closure of Fisk, Crawford Coal Plants

Also, you can listen to a podcast of our March 2nd webinar here.

Press Event: Hundreds Gather to Celebrate Historic Win for Clean Air in Chicago

Kcoleman — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:57:15 +0000

On Thursday, March 1st, hundreds of Pilsen and Little Village residents, along with supporters from the Chicago Clean Power Coalition will gather at Dvorak Park in Pilsen to take part in a press conference and historical celebration in reaction to the retirement of the Fisk and Crawford coal plants. Community members have been waiting for years to see an end to the pollution from Midwest Generation’s Fisk and Crawford coal plants that contribute to over 42 premature deaths, 720 asthma attacks, and $120 million in health costs every year. Children and families from the neighborhood will gather to celebrate this enormous victory for clean air and the health of Chicago residents.

What: Press Conference and “Retirement Party” for Midwest Generations Fisk and Crawford coal plants.

When: Thursday, March 1^st – 11:00 am

Where: Dvorak Park, 1100 W. Cermak (corner of Cermak & May St.) Chicago, IL 60608

Who: Members of the Chicago Clean Power Coalition and local community residents

Speakers:

Kim Wasserman, LVEJO — Little Village Community

Leila Mendez, PERRO — Pilsen Community

Rosalie Mancera, Pilsen Alliance — Pilsen Community

Brian Urbaszewski, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago

Faith Bugel, Environmental Law and Policy Center

Exciting Visuals: Hundreds of Pilsen and Little Village residents will gather with environmental leaders in a public park, in the shadow of a coal plant that has been retired. Large colorful signs and banners, children and celebratory chants will feature prominently in the celebration.

B-Roll Package

Print Quality Photos

Chicago Clean Power Coalition Press Release

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NYT: Power Station’s Closing Could Create Problems

Kcoleman — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:21:00 +0000

In this article from the Chicago section of the New York Times, Kari Lydersen reports on the imminent closing of the 83-year-old State Line Coal Plant. Its shutdown is being praised by environmentalists and others, but also raises new environmental and land use issues. Read the story.

Chicago Tribune: Coal plants dominate list of Chicago’s biggest polluters

Kcoleman — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:53:21 +0000

According to this Jan. 22nd article in the Chicago Tribune: “Illinois’ largest single corporate polluter is Midwest Generation, the company that owns the Crawford and Fisk coal plants in Chicago and four more in the suburbs of Joliet, Romeoville and Waukegan and in Pekin in central Illinois. Burning coal from Wyoming and other Western states, the plants emitted more than 31 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, an amount equivalent to the tailpipe emissions of about 6 million cars.” Read the article.

ELPC Helps The City of Chicago Win a $750,000 Federal Grant for Rooftop Solar Development

Kcoleman — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:12:15 +0000

The City of Chicago, together with its solar-development partners the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Illinois Institute of Technology, and West Monroe Partners has received a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge. The City will use the grant funds to transform Chicago into a national leader in residential and commercial rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) development by cutting red tape—streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning, metering, and connection processes—and improving finance options to reduce barriers and lower costs for residential and small commercial rooftop solar systems.

Read the full press release at the City of Chicago’s website

Poll Shows Chicagoans Want City to Reduce Pollution from Fisk and Crawford Coal Plants

Kcoleman — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:22:09 +0000

New poll results show that in voters in every part of Chicago support efforts by the City to reduce pollution from the Fisk and Crawford coal plants. 72% of Chicago voters said they would support a plan that reduces soot pollution from the coal plants by 90% and carbon dioxide pollution by 50%. Even after hearing arguments in opposition to, and in favor of stricter pollution standards, 64% of respondents said they would support City efforts to reduce pollution from Fisk and Crawford.

“This poll shows that people all across our city want cleaner air,” said Kim Wasserman, Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. “Northsiders and southsiders, men and women, Latino, black and white voters all want the City to clean up or shut down the Fisk and Crawford coal plants.”

The poll found that voters in every part of the City want to reduce coal plant pollution, but support was particularly strong in Latino neighborhoods and the South Side. The Fisk coal plant is located in Pilsen and the Crawford coal plant is located in Little Village. Both plants are owned by Midwest Generation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Edison International.

“Pollution from Fisk and Crawford affects everyone in Chicago,” said Maria Torres, an Organizer with Pilsen Alliance. “People in Pilsen and Little Village have been fighting coal plant pollution for years, but it’s clear the rest of the city understands that their health is at risk too.”

In separate question, 56% of those surveyed said that protecting the environment is good for the economy. “Chicagoans understand that we don’t need to choose between clean air and economic growth,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “Reducing pollution will protect public health and make Chicago’s economy stronger.”

Researchers from the Clean Air Task Force found that pollution from Fisk and Crawford causes 42 premature deaths, 66 heart attacks and 720 asthma attacks each year. The National Research Council found that pollution from Fisk and Crawford costs the public over $120 million each year in health and related damages. One in four Chicagoans live within a three-mile radius of the smokestacks.

The poll was commissioned by ELPC and our allies in the Chicago Clean Power Coalition.

IL Governor Pat Quinn Vetoes ComEd Rate Hike

Kcoleman — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:06:45 +0000

On September 12, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn vetoed SB 1652, a bill that would have gutted the Illinois Commerce Commission’s authority to oversee electric rates and smart grid investments. ELPC joined Governor Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and other advocates in opposing this legislation. ELPC is advocating for more balanced legislation that protects consumers and ensures that investments in smart grid technology and energy efficiency benefit consumers and the environment.

Read more in the Chicago Tribune

Kcoleman — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:37:20 +0000

ELPC works in Chicago to advance clean energy solutions and clean up old-technology coal plants to make the city a greener place to live and work. Our work includes:

Implementing the Chicago Climate Action Plan’s Clean and Renewable Energy Goals

Hosting the Annual “Growing the Green Economy” Conference

Fighting Pollution from the Aging Fisk and Crawford Coal Plants

Implementing the Chicago Climate Action Plan’s Clean and Renewable Energy Goals

The 2008 Chicago Climate Action Plan established a goal of reducing Chicago’s greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020. Developing new sources of clean and renewable energy will be a big part of the plan’s implementation, and ELPC has played a key role shaping the strategy.

At the request of Mayor Daley, ELPC and the City of Chicago Department of Environment co-chaired a working group comprised of clean energy business executives, entrepreneurs, academics, finance experts, government and utility representatives. Working with this group, ELPC developed a set of policy and program recommendations that, if implemented, will set the city on a path to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals and ancillary objectives such as economic development and job creation.

The Clean and Renewable Policy and Program Recommendations Report is now complete. Recommendations are organized along two tracks with elements addressing: (1) policy advocacy objectives, with a primary goal of greening the grid through full implementation of the Illinois Renewable Energy Standard, and (2) local program development at the city level, aimed at increasing distributed generation in Chicago. Stay tuned for an announcement about a press conference with Mayor Daley to formally release the report and present the implementation plan. Read the final report here.

Hosting the Annual “Growing the Green Economy” Conference

ELPC regularly co-sponsors the “Growing the Green Economy” conference with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. In previous years, more than 125 industry leaders have gathered to discuss what it will take to make Chicago’s and the Midwest’s clean energy opportunity a reality, best practices and how to attract and support clean energy businesses in today’s economy.

Fighting Pollution from Aging Coal Plants

Despite advances in renewable energy, the nation still depends on coal plants for more than half of its electricity. Coal combustion produces smog, soot, acid rain, the neurotoxin mercury, and is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions, a leading cause of global warming.

A loophole in the Clean Air Act has allowed existing power plants to avoid installing modern pollution controls. ELPC is working with numerous environmental groups, state governments and others to require aging coal-fired power plants to install these modern technologies.

In Chicago, we are working to reduce pollution from the Fisk and Crawford coal plants, as well as other plants owned by Midwest Generation. ELPC is actively working with Chicago Alderman Joe Moore and a coalition of business and community groups to advocate for the passage of a City ordinance that would significantly reduce soot and greenhouse gas pollution from Chicago’s coal plants. The Clean Power Ordinance would make Chicago the first city in the nation to regulate pollution from coal plants.

ELPC Talks Clean Energy Jobs on “Chicago Tonight”

Kcoleman — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:27:50 +0000

ELPC Talks Clean Energy Jobs on “Chicago Tonight”

ELPC Report: Federal Mercury Standards Will Protect Children’s Health in Illinois

Kcoleman — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:41:23 +0000

A new report from the Environmental Law & Policy Center finds that federal air toxics standards would protect the health of Illinois children by keeping tons of mercury pollution out of our air. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that leads to lower IQ and impaired brain development in infants and children.

“Companies should be morally responsible and step up to install modern pollution control equipment to reduce mercury pollution in order to protect children’s health and other environment,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “These federal standards are reasonable, achievable and long overdue.” U.S. EPA held public hearing on the air toxics standard for power plants in May 2011, and is expected to finalize rules in the coming months. Members of Congress have stated they will challenge the new rules.

Federal air toxics standards would lead to drastic reductions in mercury pollution from in-state industrial boilers and process heaters as well as dozens of out-of-state coal plants that are within 30 miles of the Illinois border. Illinois made progress in reducing mercury pollution after a 2006 agreement required coal plants in Illinois to install mercury controls. But the federal standards would be the first to reduce mercury from industrial facilities and coal plants nationwide.

Companies like Horsehead Corp. in Chicago and Archer Daniels Midland in Decatur pump over 150 pounds of mercury into the air each year. That mercury remains in the environment and makes its way up the food chain, into local fish that people eat.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued advisories warning that all Illinois waters contain mercury-contaminated fish that are dangerous to consume, especially for women of childbearing ages and young children. Roughly 300,000 American children are born each year having been exposed to potentially damaging amounts of mercury.

“We can’t afford to continue damaging our children’s health with toxic air pollution,” said Learner, “These clean air standards are an investment that will create economic growth and better public health here in Illinois and across the country.” The federal air toxics standards will provide public health benefits worth 5 to 13 times their costs for coal plants, and 10 to 25 times their costs for industrial facilities, according to U.S. EPA.

Download the Report