If this is your first time here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. You may also want to checkout our list of organizations and books if you want to learn more about what this site is about.

Passing on this news sent out from Andy McDonald of the Kentucky Solar Energy Society and Kentucky Solar Partnership. This information is slightly dated since I’ve been unable to post much lately but was new to me as of the 9th of October. But better late than never, no? Hurrah to the governor’s commission!

The Governor’s Commission on Global Warming on Thursday voted 11-10 that there be a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants in the state until carbon sequestration technology, which captures and stores carbon dioxide emissions rather than releasing them into the atmosphere, is ready. Until that technology becomes available, the electricity that would have been generated by new plants should be replaced with renewable energy, increased energy efficiency and, as a last resort, natural gas, the commission said.

The commission also made numerous recommendations for improving energy efficiency; recommended creating a consortium to develop renewable energy production facilities and market renewable energy to consumers; and recommended adopting a carbon tax program in conjunction with a national cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions, if a national program becomes a
reality. The commission also recommended the construction of new nuclear power plants in Arkansas. The state currently has such plant, Entergy Arkansas’ Nuclear One near Russellville.

Created by an act of the Legislature last year, the commission is charged with recommending to the governor and the Legislature ways to reduce Arkansas’ contribution to climate change. Matt DeCample, a spokesman for Governor Mike Beebe, said Thursday he could not say what position Beebe would take on the recommendation against coal power or any other specific recommendation of the commission.”What we want to do is look at their recommendations in their entirety, because we know there’s going to be a lot of ideas, and you have to look at the impact beyond just one idea,” DeCample said.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!