- Edison International announced Wednesday that Midwest Generation will shutter Chicago's Fisk and Crawford coal plants in September, ahead of schedule and years before a state-imposed deadline to clean up or shut down the plants.
Chicago is the only major U.S. city with coal plants operating within its borders. For years, environmental and community groups have blamed Fisk and Crawford for high asthma rates and other health problems in their predominantly Latino, low-income neighborhoods. A 2010 report by the National Research Council estimated that pollution from the coal plants costs surrounding areas $127 million a year in hidden health costs.
In total, 150 to 180 employees are expected to lose their jobs, according to Edison International. Severance benefits are not required under the collective bargaining agreement.
So 180 less jobs in Illinois, a state hurting for jobs. And this is the topper:
- Midwest Generation's plants in Illinois represent approximately 5,943 megawatts of electric generating capacity out of a total of 44,127 megawatts in the state.
The entire article doesn't even address where Illinois is going to make up almost 13% of its electrical generating capacity. We haven't seen Edison building any nuclear power plants - in fact, the ones that exist are reaching the end of their useful life and are being mothballed. Coal plants aren't being built. So called "peaker" generators aren't any good for long term power. Is Edison buying power from out-of-state? That isn't always good business sense and if power shortages arrive in generating states, then net buyers of power will be the first cut off.
Anyone have any idea what's the end result here?