A new report, the Annual Energy Outlook, released yesterday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) found no need for most new coal-burning power plants being proposed.

“The outlook found need for just two new coal plants between 2013 and 2025 — and that is without accounting for expected new investments in efficiency and renewables, which should eliminate the need for new coal plants. The government’s findings are a far cry from the coal industry’s propaganda that dozens of new plants are absolutely essential,” according to a National Sierra Club press release (3/31/09).

This new report furthers supports KFTC’s belief that we must phase out our dependence on coal while we phase in a new sustainable economy with safe, sustainable, living wage jobs, and new, renewable sources of energy.

The Annual Energy Outlook’s reference case only accounts for current conditions, not pending policy changes. Among those changes excluded from the report are environmental safeguards like the Clean Air Mercury Rule and the Clean Air Interstate Rule, as well as upcoming carbon regulations or increased emphasis on renewable energies. "Past results have shown that the EIA data tend to undervalue efficiency and renewable energy potential. Yet, despite these tendencies the number of estimated new coal plants built in the reference case has been revised downward by more than half in just the past year,” the Sierra Club press release goes on to explain.

You can read the executive summary or the full report online by clicking here.

KFTC is working in coalition with the Cumberland Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Kentucky Environmental Foundation to encourage East Kentucky Power Cooperative, a large electricity generation and transmission cooperative, to chart a new path towards Kentucky’s energy future.  In April 2008 our coalition released a report “A Portfolio of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for the East Kentucky Power Cooperative” that outlines how EKPC can meet projected electricity demand by using cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy options instead of new coal-fire power plants. 

You can read the full report on our web site by clicking here.

This new EIA report is further evidence that EKPC can meet electricity demand without building another costly coal-burning plant. Stay tuned for more information and ways to get involved as the EKPC campaign moves forward.