Minnesota and coal
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Contents
Introduction
Minnesota had 46 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 5,676 MW of capacity, representing 43.8% of the state's total electric generating capacity; Minnesota ranks 22nd out of the 50 states in terms of coal-fired electric generating capacity.[1] In 2006, Minnesota's coal-fired power plants produced 34.9 million tons of CO2, more than 80,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 76,000 tons of nitrogen oxide; coal-fired power plants were responsible for 34.1% of the state's total CO2 emissions.[2] In 2005, Minnesota emitted 19.9 tons of CO2 per person, roughly equal to the U.S. average.[3]
There was no coal mining in Minnesota in 2006.[4]
Citizen activism
History
There is no history of coal mining in Nevada, as the state has little or no coal reserves.[5][6] The coal power industry is fairly strong in the state, however: a large proportion of the state's power plants are coal-fired, and coal giant Xcel Energy is headquartered in Minneapolis. However, in the mid-1990's, Minnesota state regulators began to demonstrate stronger opposition to the construction of new coal-fired power plants, based to a large extent on concerns about global warming. The battle over the future of coal in Minnesota is currently focused on the Big Stone II proposed coal plant in South Dakota, several miles from the Minnesota border; that project depends on the construction of transmission lines through Minnesota, and state regulators are currently balking at granting approval for those lines' construction.[7]
Legislative issues
Proposed coal plants
Active
- Mesaba Energy Project, Taconite, MN
- Big Stone II, Milbank, SD (several miles from MN border, and depends on regulatory approval for construction of transmission lines through MN)
Cancelled
- Rosemount Project, Rosemount, MN
Coal lobbying groups
Coal power companies
- Northern States Power, owned by Xcel Energy
- Minnesota Power, owned by ALLETE
- Excelsior Energy
Existing coal plants
Minnesota had 46 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 5,676 MW of capacity - representing 43.8% of the state's total electric generating capacity. Here is a list of coal power plants in Minnesota with capacity over 400 MW:[1][8][9]
| Plant Name | County | Owner | Year(s) Built | Capacity | 2007 CO2 Emissions | 2006 SO2 Emissions | SO2/MW Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherburne County | Sherburne | Xcel Energy | 1976, 1977, 1987 | 2129 MW | 17,900,000 tons | 24,742 tons | 212 |
| Clay Boswell | Itasca | ALLETE | 1958, 1960, 1973, 1980 | 1073 MW | 7,150,000 tons | 20,407 tons | 165 |
| Allen S. King | Washington | Xcel Energy | 1958 | 598 MW | 3,402,000 tons | 26,181 tons | N/A |
| Riverside | Hennepin | Xcel Energy | 1964, 1987 | 404 MW | 2,738,000 tons | 8,538 tons | N/A |
These 4 plants represent 74.1% of Nevada's coal energy generating capacity, 30.5% of the state's total CO2 emissions, and 51.0% of its total SO2 emissions.[3]
Major coal mines
There are no major coal mines in Nevada.[10]
Citizen groups
- Citizens Against the Mesaba Project
- Clean Energy Minnesota
- Fresh Energy
- Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
- Sierra Club North Star Chapter
Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005, Energy Information Administration, accessed April 2008.
- ↑ Estimated Emissions for U.S. Electric Power Industry by State, 1990-2006, Energy Information Administration, 2007.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Minnesota Energy Consumption Information, eRedux website, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ Coal Production and Number of Mines by State and Mine Type, Energy Information Administration, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ State Coal Profiles, Energy Information Administration, 1994.
- ↑ Recoverable Coal Reserves at Producing Mines, Estimated Recoverable Reserves, and Demonstrated Reserve Base by Mining Method, 2006, Energy Information Administration, 2007.
- ↑ The End of Coal?, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, May 19, 2008.
- ↑ Environmental Integrity Project, "Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants", July 2007.
- ↑ Dig Deeper, Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ Major U.S. Coal Mines, Energy Information Administration, accessed June 2008.
Related SourceWatch articles
- Existing U.S. Coal Plants
- US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
- Cancelled coal plant proposals
- Coal plants cancelled in 2007
- Coal plants cancelled in 2008
- Active coal plant proposals
