Making the case for coal: it's not a question of if, but how.

• Author: Ourada, Mark
• Position: Letter to the editor

Editor:

Your article, "Cold Shoulder for Coal," in the April issue, claims that coal plant construction and the use of coal to produce electricity is in jeopardy.

Michael Morris, the CEO of American Electric Power, and MIT professor John Deutch, former director of the CIA, raised very important points especially concerning energy security.

But you didn't report on where power plant construction is moving ahead. Currently, there are 51 plants either in or near construction, providing jobs, boosting state revenues, keeping electricity affordable for working families, and ensuring a reliable and predictable energy supply. In states where coal plants were denied, there are still questions about how to meet rising demand and rapidly narrowing capacity margins.

Yes, costs are rising for building coal plants. But construction costs are going up across all generation technology and environmental control options, not just coal. Domestic coal prices have remained amazingly stable, especially compared to price increases, fluctuation and volatility of other fuels.

The article...