Why can't we build more efficient and cleaner operating power plants?

Question

OK.. we are dependant on coal fired power plants. Thats reality.

Most utility compannies should be VERY HAPPY to build new plants and shut down the old ones. The savings in fuel would pay off quickly.

TXU in Texas wanted to build 11 new plants... Environmentalist ad campaigns got the plan reduced to less than half as many. Because the new plants won't be built: old, ineffiient, dirty plants will have to be kept on line for 20 or 30 more years, rather than shut down.

Electric generation companies get bad publicity for not having adequate power production capacity, but when they try to build plants to meet the demand, they get bad publicity.
They get bad publicity for operating plants that produce lots of pollution, but they aren't allowed to build the newer less polluting plants.
They get bad publicity for high energy costs and aren't allowed to build more efficient plants that would allow them to lower the price to the consumer.

Aren't Liberal envirowhackos idiots?

If a new plant is 6% more efficient at converting coal to electricith... and produces a total of 8% less pollutants per kilowat-hr of electricity...

IT STILL HELPS THE ENVIRONMENT even if it is just a little.

Answer 1

I think you adequately answered your own question.