From Amy Barrilleaux

Communications Director, 

Clean Wisconsin

To the Editor:

I am communications director for the environmental group Clean Wisconsin, an organization that has worked for nearly 55 years battling polluters and protecting public health in our state. We’ve spent decades fighting coal plants because we know how harmful burning coal is for our air, water, and the health of families living near these plants.

So you can imagine my surprise when I saw our name pop up in a recent letter to the editor from an Alliant Energy spokesperson making excuses for the company’s bad decision to keep operating its Edgewater coal plant:

 “…we responsibly evaluated (and continuously evaluate) all potential options within our diverse energy mix portfolio. We also meet regularly with stakeholders, including Clean Wisconsin, to discuss possible updates to our portfolio plans,” the letter said.

This sounds like Clean Wisconsin gave our blessing to keep the Edgewater coal plant online. Or that we were involved in the decision in some way. That’s not true. 

Here’s what is true. Alliant Energy first said it would shutter its Edgewater coal plant by 2022 but has since pushed that date back…twice. The new date is 2028, but even then, Alliant isn’t really planning to shut down the plant. Instead, the company wants to double-down on fossil fuels and convert the facility to burn harmful methane gas. 

Clean Wisconsin will fight hard to keep Alliant Energy from spending customer money to lock our state into decades more of burning polluting fuels. And it won’t be the first time we’ve fought to protect Alliant Energy customers and our environment. In 2008, Clean Wisconsin and our supporters and partners across the state stood up against Alliant’s plan to build a coal plant on the shores of the Mississippi River in Cassville, Wis., and we won.

We’re going to keep meeting with Alliant Energy because the company’s decisions matter for our state. When those decisions move us in the right direction — toward a future with clean air, safe water, a healthy climate, and manageable energy bills — we will support them. We will find alignment with Alliant Energy on projects that invest in real American energy independence through clean, homegrown wind and solar.

But the truth is, Alliant Energy’s decision to keep its Edgewater plant online will leave us with at least three more years of burning dangerous, outdated, and very expensive coal. And there’s no amount of PR spin that can hide it.