Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) launched an initiative in April to make the Capitol complex carbon neutral within two years.

To achieve this, the “Green the Capitol” initiative includes changing out 17,000 old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs for more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs and using eco-friendly vendors for furnishings.

But the big elephant in the room (and I’m not talking about a Republican) is what to do about the electricity source of the Capitol: a coal plant.

The Capitol Power Plant burns mostly coal and natural gas, along with some oil for heating and cooling. So to make the Capitol carbon neutral, something has to be done about the coal being burned practically next door (coal makes up 49 percent of the plant’s output). But Speaker Pelosi was vague and noncommittal about action to clean up the plant:

“The recommendations that the people who know about this will put forth is what we will act upon, and there are issues involved with the power plant that we have to learn more about.”

Complicating the matter are lawmakers from coal producing states, like Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who are major defenders of coal and blocked an effort in 2000 to eliminate it from the Capitol Power Plant. CNN reports that two West Virginia companies – International Resources Inc and the Kanawha Eagle mine – provide 40,000 net tons of coal to the plant, earning $4.6 million. According to campaign records, the companies gave a combined $26,300 to Byrd and McConnell’s campaigns in the 2006 election cycle.

If the Capitol Power Plant remains unchanged, the Capitol would have to spend $850,000 to buy carbon credits for its 340,000 tons of global warming emissions. Switching the plant over to natural gas would cost between $5 million and $8 million more each year, but a draft report obtained by CNN says that the cost could be absorbed by the savings gained from not paying to dispose of the fly ash.

The chief administrative officer of the House will submit a final report on the carbon neutral initiatives by June 30th.

Lawmakers have some big hurdles to clear if the Capitol is to be carbon neutral. But if they can’t get our own Capitol cleaned up, how can we trust them to lead the entire country towards a clean, 21st century energy system?

CNN
Washington Times

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