Coal-Fired Power Plants – Some Good News

The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility, is shuttering eight coal-fired boilers at plants in Alabama and Kentucky, and more reductions could be in store over the next few years.  At issue, apparently, is the high cost of retrofitting these plants with modern technology to minimize emissions.

I can understand that it’s emotionally hard to close plants and displace workers.  Peter Mahurin, who sits on TVA’s board, reports, “This is a personal nightmare for me, but I must support what I believe to be in the best interest of TVA’s customers (which number about 15 million men, women, and children).”  I would add that the decision is also in the best interest of the other 99.8% of the world’s population that are, to that degree, spared from the damage to their lungs and ecosystems.

I am sympathetic to the families in these regions where “coal is a legacy” (to quote the article). I’m sure there was considerable economic disruption in the families whose bread-winner manufactured lead-based paint, DTT, CFCs, or asbestos, as well.  But surely we, as a civilization, can apply John Stuart Mill’s concept of the “greatest good for the greatest number” here and get rid of coal-fired power plants as quickly as possible.