U.S.: Coal moratorium bill introduced in Congress

Markey and Waxman Introduce
Bill that Puts Moratorium on All New Coal-Fired Power
Plants. By Lisa Mascaro, Las Vegas
Sun, March 12, 2008. "Leading congressional Democrats
introduced a bill
Tuesday that would essentially halt all new
coal-fired power plants. [Moratorium on Uncontrolled
Power Plants Act of 2008, PDF 4 pp]... Since technology to capture
carbon remains at least a decade or more away, the legislation would essentially
ban new plants. More than 100 plants have been proposed nationwide. The coal
companies 'are being put on notice that trying to pass off old technology at the
last minute as an okay solution to both our energy and global warming problems
isn't going to fly,' said a spokesman for Massachusetts Rep. Edward J. Markey,
chairman of the select committee on global warming, who introduced the bill with
California Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the powerful government oversight
committee. (Sen. John Kerry has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.)
One coal lobbyist called the legislation ill-guided, and said it faced an uphill
climb in the House, where Democrats are divided over coal. The bill also would
likely be vetoed by President Bush. However observers see it as a marker as
Democrats move toward comprehensive global warming legislation. The bill would
forbid the Environmental Protection Agency or the states from issuing permits
for the plants. The moratorium would extend until the federal government
established a policy for regulating global warming pollution."