Plan will protect ratepayers while reducing harmful emissions

Chicago, IL - After the Springfield City Council adopted a 21st Century plan for a cleaner energy future, the Sierra Club is withdrawing its appeal of the air permit for the city's new power plant. Over the past nine months, Sierra Club, the City of Springfield and Governor Blagojevich have worked together to craft a ground-breaking energy plan that will replace an old coal-fired power plant with a cleaner facility, while protecting ratepayers and reducing harmful emissions. Springfield's clean energy plan includes an ambitious energy efficiency program, the purchase of 120 megawatts of clean wind power, and a 25% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, a significant contributor to global warming.

Governor Blagojevich is an important partner to this agreement because he agreed as part of his state-wide energy plan to have the state purchase the majority of its electricity needs in the state capital from wind power.

"Working together with Mayor Davlin, the City Council and Governor Blagojevich we have crafted a model that other states and local governments can look to for strategies to increase our energy security and combat global warming," said Becki Clayborn, Regional Representative of the Sierra Club.

As part of its clean energy plan, Springfield will conduct a comprehensive energy efficiency audit and invest $4 million over the next decade - a tenfold increase - in efficiency programs and incentives for ratepayers. The plan also formalizes a role for local citizens to help the City direct investments in additional conservation and energy efficiency measures, including a special program targeted to help low-income and elderly residents.

"By thinking outside the box and working together, we were able to create an exciting clean energy reality for Springfield," said Verena Owen, Clean Air Chair of the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. "If we are going to seriously address global warming and protect our children's children, we need all communities to start thinking like Springfield."

Overall, the landmark energy agreement would do the following:

• Replace the City's Lakeside coal plant, one of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation, with the cleanest coal-fired power plant in the nation - the new plant will emit 99 percent less sulfur dioxide than the existing power plant
• Cut mercury emissions from its existing and new coal plants by 90 percent by 2009 (the most stringent requirement in the nation)
• Cut overall sulfur dioxide emissions from its existing and new coal plants by 75 percent by 2012 (the lowest SO2 pollution limit in the Midwest)
• Meet the goals of the Kyoto Protocol by cutting the City's global warming pollution by 25 percent (600,000 tons annually) below its 2005 levels by 2012, the most stringent global warming reduction commitment by any utility in the U.S. This is equivalent to removing 103,000 automobiles off of our highways
• Double Illinois' installed wind capacity by adding a record 120 megawatt of new wind turbines - this includes 60 MW to power the State's Springfield office buildings, including the State Capitol -- this represents one of the largest investments by any state in clean energy
• Boost the City's investment in energy efficiency funding ten-fold to a record $4 million over the next decade