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<br />These sixteen traditional coal plant units are being promoted as necessary to fill a gap in <br />Texas's power needs between now and 2015, by which time other power sources are <br />expected to be available. The evidence doesn't appear to support the power companies' <br />argument that these sixteen traditional coal plants must be built immediately to fill this <br />gap. <br /> <br />Wouldn't building the plants be good for the business climate in Texas? <br /> <br />There's nothing business-friendly about the prospect of pushing major regions of the state <br />closer to, or further beyond, non-attainment levels. Air quality is an important factor in <br />businesses' decisions about where to locate. Also, existing businesses may find <br />themselves unable to expand or build new facilities if the available air emissions <br />"increments" have been consumed by the coal plants. <br /> <br />Having enough electric power generation is important. But so is ensuring that we don't <br />unload the costs of the power companies' emissions on the rest of our state's economy. <br /> <br />What is your alternative? How else do you propose that Texas meet its power needs? <br /> <br />We're not trying to tell the power companies how to run their business. Our concern is <br />not to dictate any particular technology, but to make sure that the long-term <br />environmental costs are carefully weighed in the decisions about new sources of power <br />generation. To put it another way, we are "technology neutral, emissions sensitive." <br /> <br />Isn't coal less expensive than other sources of power generation? <br /> <br />Traditional coal burning may be less expensive for power companies as a generation <br />source. But lower cost of production for the power companies doesn't always translate <br />into lower electricity rates for consumers. This is especially true in Texas, where the <br />rates charged by the largest utilities are linked by statute to the price of natural gas. <br /> <br />Producing electricity by burning coal also isn't so inexpensive for the rest of society. <br />Many of the costs of coal are transferred to other sectors of our economy, including our <br />health care system. And if the coal plants prevent Texas's major cities from reaching <br />ozone attainment status, or cause more regions of the state to go into non-attainment <br />status, the long-term environmental and economic costs could be tremendous. <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br />..----. ...._"-_._..__._"-_.......~-_.--r.^. .---.-.-....-.-.- <br /> <br />--r----.......--.---...... <br />