Patti Gettinger: Proposed EMC coal plant neither risky nor dirty
by Patti Gettinger Guest Columnist February 16, 2011 12:00
AM | 3641 views | 12 12 comments | 22 22 recommendations | email
to a friend | print Citizens should be applauding Cobb EMC's
decision to build a coal-fired electric plant instead of getting
a Chris Matthews frisson when talking about green energy. Coal-
fired plants use proven technology, with a small land footprint,
to provide an efficient, reliable source of power using an
abundant and inexpensive domestic fuel.  That's why half of all
electricity in the U.S., and in Georgia, comes from coal-based
power plants. The U.S. holds 25 percent of the world's supply of
coal, so no dependence on foreign coal supply. The average
household uses 1 megawatt hour of electricity per month. The
cost of 1 megawatt hour of electricity from coal is only about
$100, while wind is about $150, and solar thermal about $250.
Not only are solar and wind expensive, they're land intensive,
unreliable, and risky