The plan initially filed by the developers essentially amounted to “well, we can’t sequester emissions now but we’ll figure out a plan to do it later.” That doesn’t cut it, the state Siting Council (reasonably) said.

Erik Robinson1, writing for The Columbian – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX (Nov 28, 2007) reports that state regulators have put the brakes on a $1.5 billion coal-gasification power plant proposed for the Port of Kalama. Jesse Jenkins’2 observation: “Great news from Washington state!”

The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council on Tuesday rejected an application for the 793-megawatt power plant submitted by Energy Northwest, a consortium of 20 public utilities in Washington formerly known as the Washington Public Power Supply System, or WPPSS.

The council’s written ruling faulted Energy Northwest for failing to assure that it could comply with a new state law limiting the emission of greenhouse gases.

Before the state will permit the proposed coal gasification plant, Energy Northwest must file a real plan for sequestering GHG emissions the plant will emit. So, in essence, they failed to get away with it.

“It?”

It would be contributing to destruction of life as we know it on this planet. First in Kansas, now in the state of Washington, not to be confused with Washington Theater, the Business As Usual And Above All Else approach is being met with resistance.

Energy Northwest had proposed fitting the plant with stubs enabling it to permanently inject carbon emissions deep underground rather than spewing gases into the atmosphere. But the consortium claimed that because such technology is not economically feasible right now, it would instead offset those emissions through the purchase of carbon “credits” or other means.

The state panel ruled that Energy Northwest strategy failed to comply with a greenhouse gas emissions limit passed by the Washington legislature in 2007.

“It is a plan to make a plan,” the council wrote, echoing a criticism made by the state Attorney General’s Office. “It proposes that eventually, at some indefinite future time, (Energy Northwest) will seek to develop a specific plan for accomplishing the purposes of the statute.”

The decision halts the biggest energy development posed by the consortium since a proposal to build five planned nuclear power plants ended in 1983 in what was then the biggest municipal bond default in U.S. history. The consortium did finish the Columbia Generating Station, a 1,250-megawatt reactor at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, but cost overruns and softening energy demand stopped the others… The consortium will review the ruling and decide whether to submit a new plan to reduce greenhouse gases, or simply drop the proposal altogether.

The state panel deserves credit for exercising the “Precautionary principle“.

This is a major set-back for the proposed plant – although it doesn’t spell the end. If the developers come up with a real plan to sequester emissions, they could still build the power plant, which while more climate friendly, would still be coal-burning… The Wallula plant is actively pursuing a sequestration plan and wants to be a national demonstration site for the new technology.

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