13 Dec How long is Austin’s coal train, you ask?
Over one mile long, Austin's coal train brings nearly 10,000 tons of coal to our Fayette coal plant twice a day. Check out this powerful, 3 minute video. It shows clean energy advocate Al Braden speaking during the citizen comment portion of Austin City Council's 12/12/13 public meeting, yesterday, at City Hall.
12/16/13 UPDATE — FROM AL BRADEN:
Here's an update on Austin's coal plant.
Five City Councilors favor of retiring Austin's portion of the coal plant – and two would prefer to sell, but would retire it if the economics were = or better than selling. We have the votes – we need the action. We have to work in the first quarter to get council to 'bake in' the retirement option to the future Generation Plan. It is being drafted by Austin Energy for finalization by the end of 2014 and would be the road map for the 2015-20 time frame. At the end of the year, the new '10-1 Council' elections take place. Everything we have worked for with this Council is out the window and we have to start over with a very new and untried group who may have other priorities. Hence the sense of urgency.
Here is my presentation to Council on 12/12. I used my coal train video as an antagonist throughout the entire talk to emphasize how much coal is burned every day.
Please contact the City Council and other contacts that you have in the city or Austin Energy and ask that the Fayette coal plant be ramped down and retired in the 2015-18 time frame and that such commitment be written into the upcoming Generation Plan.
Also, please share the video – and message with your friends who might be interested in getting involved. Thanks
IEN Energy Action Team member,
Al Braden
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