Page 27 - bon-dia-aruba-20210503

A27
u.s. news Dialuna 3 Mei 2021

Wyoming backs coal with $1.2M threat to sue other states

(AP) — While most states
pursue ways to boost re- Last year, Wyoming and
newable energy, Wyoming Montana — another major
is doing the opposite with coal state — asked the Su-
a new program aimed at preme Court to override a
propping up the dwin- decision by Washington state
dling coal industry by su- to deny a permit to build a
ing other states that block coal export dock on the Co-
exports of Wyoming coal lumbia River. The interstate
and cause Wyoming coal- lawsuit followed years of
fired power plants to shut unsuccessful attempts by the
down. dock's developer, Utah-based
Lighthouse Resources, to
The law signed April 6 by contest the permit denial in
Republican Gov. Mark Gor- federal court.
don creates a $1.2 million
fund for an initiative that The Supreme Court hasn't
marks the latest attempt by said yet if it will hear the case
state leaders to help coal in but the new legal fund ap-
the state that accounts for the proved resoundingly by the
bulk of U.S. coal production, Wyoming Legislature and
which is down by half since overseen by Gordon could
2008. help cover the cost of that
litigation, Pearlman said.
"Wyoming is sending a mes-
sage that it is prepared to All the while, prospects for
bring litigation to protect her Wyoming's coal industry
interests," Gordon spokes- are as dim as ever, even af-
man Michael Pearlman said ter then-President Donald further setting back the coal two southwestern Wyoming states to shut down coal-fired
of the fund signed into law Trump rolled back regula- dock proposal. power plants starting in 2023, power.
April 6. tions on mining and burning as much as five years sooner
the fossil fuel. So can state vs. state lawsuits than envisioned just a few "I will not waver in my efforts
The law puts West Coast help the coal industry? years ago. The utility serves to protect our industries, par-
states and Colorado on no- Wyoming coal production, four states with renewable ticularly our coal industry.
tice — all seek to get a large which accounts for about "We're supportive of all the energy standards or goals — The use of coal is under as-
share of their electricity from 40% of the nation's total, efforts of the state right now California, Oregon, Utah sault from all directions. And
renewables but still get juice has been in decline as utili- to protect and defend the in- and Washington — and two we have stood firm in our
from aging Wyoming coal- ties switch to gas, which is dustry," Wyoming Mining that don't: Idaho and Wyo- support of it throughout,"
fired power plants. The ap- cheaper to burn to generate Association Executive Direc- ming. Gordon said in his state of
proach may run into legal electricity. Solar and wind tor Travis Deti said. the state address in March.
troubles, though, according power also are on the rise as Wyoming could waste a lot PacifiCorp has been meeting
to one constitutional expert. coal's share of the U.S. power of money trying to convince renewable standards by get- He called for Wyoming to be
market shrinks from about courts to help coal, coun- ting electricity from the low- carbon negative — capturing
Lawsuits between states half in the early 2000s to less tered University of Maryland est cost and least risky sourc- more of the greenhouse gas
aren't unusual and often in- than 20% now. environmental law professor es like it has always done, so carbon dioxide than it emits
volve natural resources, such Hope that other countries Robert Percival. the standards haven't factored — by investing in technology
as water rights. Such cases will use more U.S. coal, "I don't think they have a le- into its decisions to retire and infrastructure to trap car-
can go directly to the U.S. meanwhile, are fading fast. gal leg to stand on," Percival coal-fired power, company bon dioxide at power plants
Supreme Court, if the jus- Lighthouse Resources filed said. spokesman David Eskelsen and keep the gas out of the
tices agree to hear them. for bankruptcy in December, said. atmosphere.
The Constitution's Com-
merce Clause prohibits states PacifiCorp has no position Carbon capture remains
from barring goods and ser- on the legal fund but the economically unproven on
vices based on their state of Wyoming Rural Electric As- a scale needed to meaning-
origin. States are free, how- sociation supports the mes- fully reduce current carbon
ever, to regulate or outright sage it sends to states such dioxide emissions. Wyoming
prohibit certain goods and as Colorado, which has re- has been funding research
services — coal and coal- newable energy standards into the technology, how-
fired electricity included — and gets coal-fired electricity ever, including $10 million
as long as they don't inten- from southeastern Wyoming, in a just-approved bill that
tionally target other states, Executive Director Shawn slashed Wyoming's budget by
Percival said. Taylor said. over 10% amid weak revenue
from oil, gas and coal extrac-
Who might be targets of fu- "It's just kind of part and par- tion.
ture Wyoming coal litigation cel of folks feeling that states
isn't yet known. Pearlman and state agencies and entities Connie Wilbert, director of
declined to speculate, saying outside Wyoming are having the Sierra Club's Wyoming
Gordon and Attorney Gen- more of an impact on our en- chapter, said the state should
eral Bridget Hill would need ergy resources than we do," put its tight budget to more
to study their chances of suc- Taylor said. productive use than coal law-
cess, but they could include suits.
West Coast states including, The coal litigation fund fol-
again, Washington. lowed a 2020 bill that estab- "Coal is on the way out," Wil-
lished a $1 million fund to bert said. "The sooner our
Portland, Oregon-based util- promote Wyoming coal. Wy- elected leadership acknowl-
ity PacifiCorp plans to re- oming is paying a nonprofit, edges that and starts looking
duce its coal-fired generation the Energy Policy Network, for things the state can do to
by two-thirds by 2030, part- $250,000 a year from the actually help us through the
ly by retiring generators at fund to contest plans in other transition, the better."