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Rally to Oppose Desert Rock Power Plant!
Feb 5, 2-3PM
Round House Rotunda

(northwest corner of Paseo de Peralta and Old Santa Fe Trail)

• Please Attend and help us show the Legislature we don't want this!
• Deliver a letter to your legislators.
• Come early, as parking near the Round House is very hard to find.

The 2007 New Mexico Legislative Session has begun, and one major, problematic bill that we expect to be introduced soon is a huge incentive for a giant coal-fired power plant in New Mexico.

This plant will spew over 10 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year, essentially wiping out New Mexico's attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come.

Desert Rock is just one of over 150 coal-fired plants that the cynical coal industry is attempting to rush into construction before Congress imposes limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Protests have erupted across the US to stop these plants, including in conservative states like Texas, where an alliance of mayors is opposing 12 proposed plants.

The company proposing Desert Rock, Sithe Inc., claims the plant will be "clean". Such is not the case: It will still spew over 10 million tons of CO2 per year, and it appears that Sithe is hiding other pollution emissions with misleading analysis and taking credit for emission reductions at other plants.

This IS a renewable energy/energy efficiency issue: Serious development of large-scale "Concentrating Solar Power", or"CSP" is now possible and is finally beginning in the West. PV is really taking off. We believe a combination of CSP, PV, wind power, and strong efficiency programs could meet most or all of the load growth in the near term. But inappropriate plants such as Desert Rock will suppress that possibility by diverting rate payer money to the wrong places.

At the Rally you will:

• Hear environmental leaders describe why Desert Rock is bad news for New Mexico
• Help us demonstrate that New Mexican's don't want Desert Rock.
• Deliver your views to your legislators in person

We suggest bringing signed letters to the event. A template for these is given below. More information about Desert Rock is also given below.

For more information about the Rally, contact Robb Thomson ( robbm@toast.net )

Rally Coordinators are:
-Robb Thomson ( robbm@toast.net )
-Lori Goodman
-Ben Luce
-Holly Beaumont

Desert Rock Power Plant:
Summary of Issues

Both scientific studies (IPCC and others) and the economic study on global warming by Stern point to the next decade as being a crucial period during which serious green house gas mitigation must be instituted, or serious risks from global warming will result. Instead of initiating a path for decreasing green house gas emissions in the State, Desert Rock would INCREASE the total net emissions in the State by an estimated 16%. This magnitude of increase could not be counteracted by other mitigation policies for the better part of that crucial decade described above. And in particular, the savings proposed by the Governor to take action by 2012 are almost exactly the amount that Desert Rock will increase those emissions, once it is fully operational.

Mercury is a serious health hazard in NM, and mercury emissions by Desert Rock will not be controlled by present EPA stance. Uncontrolled, Desert Rock would increase mercury emissions in the state by about 40%. Overall levels of controlled pollutants will put the 4 Corners region over the top on EPA air quality standards if Desert Rock is built. The disposal of fly ash from pollution control processes could pose a serious health hazard, but is not a controlled standard.

The accuracy of all the submitted figures for pollutant control at Desert Rock have been seriously questioned by expert testimony from Dine Care, San Juan Citizens Alliance, et al. The EPA judges Desert Rock on the basis of “Best Available Control Technology”, but did not allow comparisons to Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle systems. IGCC is significantly better than the traditional Desert Rock plan ON ALL COUNTS. (For example, mercury can be practically eliminated entirely, CO2 emission is lower, and ultimate CO2 capture is fi- nancially feasible.) An IGCC plant would therefore significantly ameliorate the problems associated with building a new electric power plant in the 4 Corners.

An even better alternative to Desert Rock than IGCC is a concentrated solar power system, which has NO environmental downsides. It would also create jobs in the Navajo Nation, just as Desert Rock does.

Desert Rock Facts and Statistics

Owners: Sithe Global Power of Houston, TX.

Electricity Production: 1500 MW (two 750 MW units),

Expected electric energy produced per yr for Desert Rock is 11,169 GWh.

Total electric energy produced in NM in 2003 was 32,500 GWh.

Cost: $2.2 Billion

Fuel: Coal (mine mouth facility)

Location: 580 acres about 30 mi S of Shiprock

CO2 emissions: 10.5 MMtCO2e per year.

Desert Rock is proposed by Sithe in partnership with Dine Power Authority (a Navajo nation enterprise). It will be a “market plant” which means it will sell power to other buyers. Sithe claims prospective buyers will be APS the Salt River Project and PNM (PNM denies they will buy power from Desert Rock). The land is leased to Dine Power and subleased to Sithe. Sithe has brokered a 67% reduction of taxes from the Nation, and is in negotiation with the County for additional tax breaks. A bill is expected to be introduced in the Legislature for substantial relief from State taxes. (Last year, the total amount of such tax relief requested was $60M over a period of about 5 years.)

SAMPLE LETTER

February 5, 2007

The Honorable ________
NM State Senate/House of Representatives
State Capitol
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Dear Senator/Rep _____

I am one of your constituents, and write regarding my opposition to the building of a large new coal fired electric plant at Desert Rock.

I have been delighted by the leadership the Legislature has provided our state in the area of global warming, and your support of proposals to mitigate the growth of green house gases. And in particular, I am pleased by the Governor's recently announced program, based on the recommendations of his Climate Change Advisory Group.

But the plan to build the Desert Rock power facility will deal a fatal blow to the Governor's program, because it will totally wipe out the planned savings in green house emissions in 2012 relative to the reference year 2000. According to climate change experts, we have about a decade to deal effectively with green house gas emissions in a serious way, before we risk serious consequences to the climate. If Desert Rock is built, in New Mexico, we will have lost most of that decade.

In addition to the emission of green house gases, Desert Rock is also a matter of concern to New Mexicans because of the damage it will do to an already stressed environment in the 4Corners region. And more particularly, we are concerned by the emission of mercury from the stacks. Mercury is already a serious health issue in the state, and the additional 40% burden from Desert Rock would be unacceptable, in my opinion.

The major benefit quoted by the supporters of the plant is the economic benefit to the Navajo Nation and its citizens, but there are alternative ways to build new power capacity in the State without causing unacceptable environmental harm to the State and all its citizens.

Thus, I believe that the Desert Rock plant, as proposed, will be harmful to the people of the State, represents bad public policy, and should not be built. I respectfully request that you oppose the granting of tax credits or any other benefits to the builders and owners by the State in any way you can.

Very sincerely yours,