Written by by Mark Krebs at attsupwiththat.com
“Ameren Corporation claims, putting in SO2 scrubbers would cost more than securitizing Rush Island’s ‘stranded assets.’ However, Ameren is avoiding what it would fully cost to replace Rush Island’s critically needed and reliable capacity.”
Thomas Jefferson wrote in Volume 4 of Notes on Virginia: “With money we will get men, said Cæsar, and with men we will get money.”[1]
Such threats to keeping our constitutional republic are increasingly evident with the weaponization of many Federal Agencies (e.g., the Department of Justice, FBI, etc.), as well as numerous Biden Executive Orders for federal agencies to fight the “existential” threat of anthropogenic global warming (AGW).
These threats, coupled with the plague of “woke” political agendas promoting “Environmental, Social, and Governance” (ESG) and/or “Diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), are forcibly reaching leading “investment management” firms (e.g., BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity, State Street Global Advisors, and J.P. Morgan).
Enter Missouri, where our utility Ameren Corporation drinks the green Kool-Aid as evidenced by their “woke” pitch to J.P. Morgan on June 22, 2023, titled Powering a Smart, Sustainable Tomorrow.
The ESG/DEI cult has also infiltrated energy utility trade associations. For example:
EEI-AGA ESG/Sustainability Template
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report
Scrapping Reliable, Clean-up Capacity
Scrapping Reliable, Clean-up Capacity
The cast of characters goes to the state regulatory side. Ameren, through Missouri Public Service Commission (MOPSC), proposes (Docket EF-2024-0021) to scrap (as opposed to retire and “mothball”) its best performing coal plant, the Rush Island Energy Center, through a recently enacted “securitization” bill and replace it with a mix of renewables plus batteries (R+B).
The reasons for this “retirement” go back over a decade. Improvements at Rush Island increased efficiency and capacity but also increased Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) emissions there. Ameren got sued by DOJ (representing the EPA). The Sierra Club intervened in February 2017 seeking to further its own “Beyond Carbon” agenda (underwritten by Michael Bloomberg). For Sierra Club’s summary, see Federal Court Rules Ameren Missouri Must Install Pollution Controls.[2]
Ameren is a willing participant, as they stand to get seven times (or more) the rate base from a renewables program as compared to continued operation of fossil-fueled power plants such as (but not limited to) Rush Island. That spells increased profit for the utility. But at what long-term costs to consumers and overall economic sustainability?
Media Coverage
News coverage of this docket has been largely benign towards Ameren (given the widespread indoctrination about AGW within mainstream media). However, locally, a notable exception has been Nathan Bechtold, who writes for LakeExpo.com as its Editor in Chief.