Wisconsin utility regulators decline to consider climate impact of proposed natural gas plant

Wisconsin regulators will not consider questions of climate change and carbon emissions in the review of a proposed $700 million natural gas plant.

Despite appeals from environmental groups, the Public Service Commission says it doesn’t have the authority to consider the environmental impact of a project that isn’t funded by ratepayers and meets the state’s air quality standards.

The Sierra Club and Clean Wisconsin argue that the plant’s potential impact on climate should be considered as part of the application process because it is not fully addressed by any other regulatory agency....

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Ken Notes: Again a VERY difficult issue, a few years back we were begging for more natural gas plants, now our focus has shifted to solar and wind and the numbers are finally there to support this. Still the utilities are charged with balancing the system and reducing their use of coal and for now gas is a significant part of the mix. We need to encourage utilities to move in a renewable direction but preventing them from a systemic solution may not be in our best interest.