Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Press Release
Attorney General Praises FirstEnergy Conversion Of Power Plant To Biomass, Reducing Harmful Emissions To CT, Greenhouse Gas Pollution
April 1, 2009
The company made the conversion as part of a 2005 settlement of a lawsuit filed by Connecticut and other states. Blumenthal and others sued the company for failing to clean up plants whose harmful emissions are carried by the prevailing winds to Connecticut and other states.
"Ohio Edison is doing the right thing, switching to fuels that pollute less, saving lives and fighting global warming," Blumenthal said. "Burning biomass instead of coal will literally save lives in Connecticut, as well as reduce incidence of asthma and other respiratory ailments.
"Ohio Edison's conversion to biomass is a model for the industry, which should cease its hopeless, selfish and shortsighted fight against clean air laws and global warming science. This company is choosing to be part of solution, not part of the problem, a path other power producers must take or face litigation from my office and others.
"I will continue fighting to clean up out-of-state power plants that foul Connecticut's air, causing death and illness, as well as demand conversion to fuels that reduce greenhouse gas pollution."
FirstEnergy today announced that it is retrofitting two units at its Shadyside, Ohio power plant to burn wood and other biomass materials.
The company plans to eventually create a "closed loop system" under which the plant would burn a crop specifically grown to produce power. The carbon dioxide emitted by the plant would be absorbed by the crop, meaning that it would produce no excess greenhouse gases that cause global warming.