17 Oct 1996
MINNESOTA POWER COs MUST ACCOUNT FOR POLLUTION COSTS
Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) decided this month
[sic] that
power companies wanting to build new electric plants there must
include
economic values for pollutants in figuring their costs. If a
coal-burning
power plant costs $100, for example, and the hidden cost of
pollutants it
would emit is $30, the PUC would consider the cost of the plant
$130. And it
would consider a nonpolluting wind-powered plant costing $120
less expensive
and a better alternative. The debate over the new rules, which
began last
year, hinged on two questions - whether to accept evidence that
the world's
climate is changing and, if so, whether states like Minnesota
should begin
individually to do anything about it. Yes to both, the PUC
answered, 3 to 1.
Northern States Power (NSP) officials objected saying the rules
could make it
less competitive in the future. NSP is also concerned about the
piecemeal
effect of states adopting different standards and methods for
calculating
environmental costs. State Senator Janet Johnson and others who
favor the
changes agree that national action is needed but don't anticipate
it without
pressure from states.
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