As an example from overseas of how far coal-burning companies will go to protect their cheap dirty fuel, and how successful environmental group action can be, this diary chronicles the ongoing battle down under between a company that stands alone in clinging to coal and its most vocal opponent.
The company is going to court hoping to prevent local government authorities from being allowed to even think about climate change as a factor when deciding on permits for fossil fuel burning power plants.
In New Zealand (where I live) very little electricity is generated from coal, but one electricity company still operates a coal-fired plant. This company, Genesis Energy, is taking Greenpeace to court over a legal decision the environmental group won that may help cause the closure of that coal-fired plant within a few years. Genesis apparently fails to see the irony in using the slogan "Hello Tomorrow" while clinging to the fossil fuels of yesterday. The battle has taken place in the media, atop 500-foot coal chimneys and on YouTube, before heading back to the courts. (I'm not a member of Greenpeace and don't support every action they take, but I think the organization's efforts against fossil fuels in electricity generation here have been outstanding.)
First, a brief overview of the nation's electricity scene. New Zealand gets two thirds of its electricity from renewable sources - primarily hydro, with a growing amount from wind farms. Of the third generated from combustibles, most is from natural gas. The government (sole owner of most of the electricity companies, including Genesis Energy) has asserted it wants all new generation to be from renewables, but has been slow in taking steps to close existing fossil fuel plants.
Genesis Energy has been running an image-building TV campaign with an ad featuring a nest-building native Pukeko, with the claim that it "generates electricity using more sources than any other company." That is technically true, but only because the company uses dirty coal its competitors won't touch and has a tiny token wind farm. In response, Greenpeace put up a YouTube clip which used the video content of the Genesis ad, but parodied the audio. It's worth a watch for a laugh: click the image or this YouTube link.
There's far more to the Genesis-Greenpeace tussle than a TV ad parody. The trouble began when another electricity company made plans to restore an unused plant and burn coal in it. In July 2006 the Environment Court found that "climate change is not a relevant consideration that can and must be taken into account" when approving consent for such plants. What the hell were they thinking?
Greenpeace called bullshit on the decision. By October, the group had appealed to a higher court and won. So the current legal status is that climate change must be considered in the consent process. This left coal-burning Genesis in a difficult situation as half its 1600MW capacity is the 800MW from coal at the Huntly power plant, and the Huntly resource consent renewal is four years away. (The company also wants new natural gas fired capacity in the meantime.) By early 2007, the other company abandoned its plans for new coal generation, announcing alternative projects entirely in renewables like geothermal and wind. Great stuff!
But back to Genesis. In February this year, the Genesis-Greenpeace battle intensified. Greenpeace activists with banners scaled the 500-foot chimneys of the Huntly plant to protest the use of coal. I wrote a diary about it here. The latest result of that protest? No charges will be laid, but neither Genesis nor the police want to own up as the decision maker:
Police, Genesis point finger over inaction on protesters
NZ Herald, May 16 2007
Genesis Energy and the police are pointing fingers over who decided not to press charges against nine Greenpeace activists who scaled a 150m chimney at Huntly Power Station in protest against the coal-fired plant.
Huntly police said they had reluctantly dropped action against the protesters because Genesis declined to press charges. But Genesis Energy spokesman Richard Gordon said that was not the case.
...
[A Greenpeace spokeperson said,] "We're always prepared to stand by our actions and to take anything that comes along with that but at the end of the day if we can focus our efforts and our energy on campaigning for renewable energy and energy efficiency that's a good result." ...
"I would think that Genesis should be thinking long and hard about the PR implications of taking charges against Greenpeace on a climate activity."
Less than a week after that news, Genesis is now taking Greenpeace to court to appeal the decision regarding climate change and resource consent:
Genesis Energy files against Greenpeace
Scoop (Greenpeace NZ press release), May 23 2007
Genesis Energy has filed new legal proceedings against Greenpeace in an extraordinary attempt to have a High Court ruling protecting the climate reversed.
...
Genesis runs the Huntly power station, which is New Zealand's biggest single greenhouse gas emitter.
[A Greenpeace spokesperson said,] "[Prime Minister] Helen Clark says she wants New Zealand to be carbon neutral and the Energy Minister is constantly repeating his preference for `a renewable energy future.' Yet the government is letting one of its own companies use the courts to undermine that future."
Genesis is seeking these decisions regarding resource consents for plants that burn fossil fuels:
Authorities do not have to consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change.
Renewable energy and climate change are not relevant considerations.
Regional councils may not make rules that have regard to climate change.
Climate change is not relevant? Emissions should not be considered? I'd expect this type of crap from ExxonMobil or the National Mining Association in the USA, but not from an electricity company owned by a government that presents a clean green image and aims to be a world leader on carbon neutrality.
The Genesis plan is to prevent anyone from even thinking about climate change as it applies to their fossil fuel plants. They're also spinning and scaremongering in the media:
Genesis warns of dark times
TVNZ, May 24 2007
One of New Zealand's biggest power suppliers is warning Aucklanders could end up sitting in the dark if they do not win a Court of Appeal case. But Greenpeace says Genesis is using scare tactics.
Genesis Energy wants a High Court decision overturned, so climate change does not need to be taken into account to get consent for its power stations.
...
"If Huntly can't run on coal then we'd all be sitting in the dark in Auckland basically, it can't burn anything else. Without it, the lights go out," says Genesis spokesman Richard Gordon.
Greenpeace could not disagree more, saying Genesis is using scare tactics.
"That is blatant fear mongering by Genesis Energy and it is simply not true. New Zealand has an abundant resource of renewable energy," says Greenpeace spokesperson Vanessa Atkinson.
All this is coming not from one of the public listed electricity companies, but from one owned entirely by the government. It is appalling that a government supposedly committed to reducing emissions is letting one of its electricity companies continue to be the nation's dirtiest and act in this manner. As sole shareholder, it needs to shut this down and make coal-fired plants an historical footnote.
Perhaps this diary about an environmental battle 9000 miles from Washington DC wasn't totally on-topic for Daily Kos. But I think some of the many eco-minded readers here will appreciate it as a cautionary tale of how far coal-using companies will go in resisting pressure to change.