Air quality spurs 'take-action' rally

Learn about what's in the air you're breathing, how it gets there and what steps you can take to help clean it up at a "take-action" rally to, in part, educate energy consumers more about how coal-fired power plants fit into the broader discussion about making clean energy choices.

"We have better choices — they're out there, they're economically viable," said Tim Wagner, director of the Utah Smart Energy Campaign for the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club.

The rally is set for March 26, 7 p.m., at the St. James Episcopal Church, 7500 S. 1300 East (7486 Union Park Blvd.). There will be presentations on wind and solar energy and, from doctors with the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, thoughts on the health effects of the country's "coal habit."

Fueling the reason for the upcoming rally are proposals for new coal-fired power plants in Utah and "upwind" in Nevada, which critics say would add to a growing amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide being released into the air. Coal-fired plants annually produce about half of the electricity used in households and more than 90 percent in Utah.

Tanner said one idea for an energy alternative gaining steam in Utah is the geothermal method of producing electricity. The overall environmental footprint on air, land and water, he added, is "nothing near as big as coal."

Rally attendees will also learn more about the development of solar-produced energy on scales big and small.

On the individual consumer side, spending about $10,000 on a solar setup at home can produce 30 percent to 40 percent of a power user's annual needs, Tanner said. "It is expensive — that is the downside," he added, noting tax credits are available in some areas for those who make the investment.

On a much larger scale, Arizona Public Service Co. is contracting with Abengoa Solar to build a 280-megawatt plant with the goal of selling about $4 billion in "clean" electricity over the next 30 years.

The popularity of electricity produced by wind energy is also on the rise around the country and in Utah, with about a 40 percent growth rate around the country. Wasatch Wind's Christine Watson Mikell is expected to give a presentation at the rally.

In the meantime Tanner said people in Utah can learn more about Rocky Mountain Power's wind-energy program by going to its Web site and clicking on the links "Renewable Energy" and then "Blue Sky." He predicted that the extra premium paid for wind power will go away in the next few years as the economy of scale kicks in.

There will be a faith-based presentation at the rally to raise awareness about efforts by the national group Interfaith Power and Light to educate people about a religious approach to exploring green technology and taking part in energy initiatives.

Before the rally concludes people will also have the chance to sign postcards that will be sent to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., addressing proposals for new coal-fired power plants.

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com