Sylvia Allen is the Republican Candidate for Arizona Senate (LD6)
On September 11, 2014, I attended a hearing at the Navajo County Complex in Holbrook where David Hansen, APS Vice President, presented APS’s future plan for the Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City. APS will be closing down one unit, which means losing 30 jobs and millions in overall revenue to the community in taxes and services. They then plan to convert their other two units to natural gas by 2025. The consequence of President Obama’s war on coal has finally become a reality here in Navajo County and continues its march through the state.
(Please click HERE to Donate to Ms. Allen’s campaign!)
Cholla is faced with having to comply with both the regional Haze and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rules within the next few years. In the last few year APS has put $177 million into upgrades but it is never enough with the EPA. Now the pressure is for another $350 million in new upgrades and here is the kicker while the improvements can be measured technically, it would not be detectable by the human eye!!
According to the Heritage Foundation, this war on coal will mean “fewer jobs and less income for American families." A study by the foundation released in June predicts that the EPA’s anti-coal crusade could terminate 600,000 American jobs by 2023 while dampening economic growth by more than $2 trillion.
Bottom line, it will take billions to tear down coal infrastructure and replace it with either solar, wind, or natural gas. It will put a strain on our fragile economy and increase our utility bills for every American family. This war on coal is the same war that was waged on timber and it will have the same negative consequences.
I support renewable energy in a true free market scenario but not one where the Federal Government is forcing the change through excessive regulations.
I will be a Voice and a Vote for rural families in the fight to preserve our critical need for affordable and abundant energy.
(Please click HERE to Donate to Ms. Allen’s campaign!)
See Also:
Climate Policy: Economic Impact and Cost of Obama’s Climate Action Plan
Apparently the Sky Isn’t Falling After All