This week, the Mississippi state legislature is planning to vote on a $1 billion bond, paid for by Mississippi Power’s ratepayers, to fund the dirty, expensive, and unnecessary Kemper coal plant. This is on top of $2.8 billion already approved by the Public Service Commission to be paid by ratepayers! If you are a Mississippi resident, follow the link below to tell your legislators not to give Mississippi Power a blank check for Kemper coal: http://grn.convio.net/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=510According to a report by the energy consulting firm Brubaker & Associates, the average residential customer will see an additional $76 a month on their electric bills to pay for Kemper coal, and that’s before you even factor in the $1 billion bond.Above and beyond the costs to consumers, this coal plant and mine is a raw deal for the health of Mississippi’s communities and environment. If allowed to move forward, the power plant and strip mine would destroy hundreds of acres of wetlands, pollute nearby waters, and release pollutants into the air. Plus, this plant is relying on experimental technology that has never been used successfully on such a large-scale. Billions of dollars later, if the experimental technology fails to work as designed, ratepayers will still be left holding the bill.If you are a Mississippi resident, click here to take action and tell your legislators not to give Mississippi Power a billion dollar blank check.Raleigh Hoke is GRN’s Mississippi Organizer.
