The PSC is going to take evidence on whether Cleco’s decision to retrofit these three coal plants is in the best interest of ratepayers. Sierra Club plans to submit evidence about the many regulatory costs of operating a coal plant that are coming in future years, and argue that this just isn’t a good investment.
Roberts suggests LCG reconsider investing so much taxpayer money in coal power, especially in light of the possibility Cleco doesn’t get PSC approval.
“It seems ... that Lafayette shouldn’t approve its part until the PSC has approved Cleco’s part, and that Lafayette should look at the evidence submitted in the PSC proceeding to help make its own decision about whether this project is worthwhile,” writes Roberts. “If the PSC doesn’t approve the project — meaning it will (not) allow Cleco to recover the cost of the project through increased rates — the project probably won’t go forward.”
A decision on the issue, according to PSC’s hearing schedule, wont be made until late May or early June.
Lillian Espinoza, a member of the Sierra Club Acadian Group and Lafayette’s League of Women Voters, says the issue will be raised during tonight’s City-Parish Council meeting, where locals are expected to call for a halt to LCG's plans for a multi-million investment in coal.
Though the council has already sold $65 million in bonds to help cover the $140 million overhaul, it's not too late to at least consider an alternative approach, Espinoza says.
“The next time our council makes a 20 year decision, they better make sure to give the community a chance to be involved,” she says, adding, “this is a journey we’re just beginning and it starts tonight.”
Tonight's meeting starts at 5:30 p.m.
JUNE 17 If anyone ever wonders why Saints fans hate Atlanta with a capital H, here's a good indication. Radio "professionals" at an Atlanta station created an entire segment around making fun of former Saints player Steve Gleason, who is now paralyzed by ALS. Listen, nobody's ever accused DJs of being rocket scientists. But how could someone think it is amusing to pretend to ask a man with a degenerative, fatal disease if he will be alive next week? The DJs have been fired, and are now whining about how gutless their former bosses are. Wow.
JUNE 18 Here's the latest from the Advocate on the fatal hit-and-run accident allegedly involving the president of the Livingston Parish School Board. He's accused by police of hitting a 21-year-old man on a highway early Sunday and driving away. The man died at a hospital later. On Monday, police seized the president's truck and towed it away. But he's available for board meetings: apparently a $500 bond is sufficient for this type of thing over in St. Helena Parish.
JUNE 18 Former broadcast journalist Griffin Scott has posted this plea on his blog for financial assistance from his readers. Scott, who says he was fired after he wrote something fairly innocuous (for Facebook) on his wall, is suing a media giant for his job back. He's framed himself as David going after a bloated media giant, and he's probably not far off.
JUNE 18 Here's a fairly absurd column posted on DIG Magazine about the completely absurd practice of naming killer storms. Tornadoes don't have names. Blizzards don't have names. But hurricanes do, and there's a big process to bestow them, Jacques Cormery writes. He's right about the crazy assemblage of names -- this year, there's everything from Tanya to Humberto -- and his idea that we don't waste good names on killer storms is a good one.
JUNE 17 Political columnist John Maginnis has some advice for Louisiana Republicans: grow up. After the schism that occurred in this past session - fiscal hawks teaming up with Democrats to spank the Republican "majority" and hand Gov. Jindal his, er, aspirations for continued solon control -- they need to figure out how to get along with each other, Maginnis writes.
JUNE 17 Here's the Picayune's obit story for Dorothy 'Miss Dot' Domilise, the lady who made poboys at the uptown restaurant that bears her name. Miss Dot moved to New Orleans during World War II, where she met and married her husband Sam. When she passed away Friday she was 90, and had spent more than 60 of those years working at the restaurant on Annunciation Street.
JUNE 17 This editorial in the Advocate speaks in favor of the consent decrees that have federal judges overseeing police operations and the sheriff's parish prison in New Orleans. Mayor Landrieu and Sheriff Gusman can't get along, so outside forces, like the Inspector General and the judges, are needed to make sure things run right, the editorial opines.
JUNE 18 Here's a post from Manny Schewitz on Forward Progressives that is good for a chuckle. Manny had an epiphany back in November, and is sharing it with us today: he believes that Fox "News" is killing the GOP by pandering to right wing nuts. Now, don't get it twisted: Manny's not broke up about it. He says he enjoys watching the downward spiral with a shot of whiskey and "a schadenfreude chaser."
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