Sierra Club opposes Ariz. natural gas plant upgrade

摘要

Plans to upgrade a natural gas-fired power plant in Tempe, Ariz., have attracted the ire of the Sierra Club, which filed a 57-page critique of the project with air regulators this week. In its public comments to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department, the Sierra Club said Arizona Public Service Co.'s plans to upgrade its Ocotillo Power Plant do not do enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Though natural gas-burning plants usually have lower greenhouse gas emissions than those that burn coal, an upgraded Ocotillo plant would offer only minimal benefits, according to the Sierra Club. "The proposed Ocotillo plant would be allowed to emit greenhouse gases at a rate of 1,690 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour," the Sierra Club said in a press release. "That's right -- almost the same as a coal plant."