Author Archives: John Blair

TVA ignores Trump and retires Paradise (KY) coal power plant by December next year

Posted on February 14, 2019 by John Blair

February 14, 2019 by- John Blair, valleywatch.net editor The Tennessee Valley Authority board shunned the directions it was given earlier in the week by both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump and voted 6-1 to retire the … Continue reading →

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A Coal-to-Diesel Refinery Is the Last Straw for These Hoosiers

Posted on February 13, 2019 by John Blair

February 13, 2019 by Susan Cosier  in Our Stories/Midwest Dispatch at NRDC The air in southwestern Indiana is bad enough without the emissions from yet another proposed polluter. A towering billboard in southwestern Indiana greets drivers heading west on Interstate 64: “Governor Holcomb, please—No rotten egg smell! No more … Continue reading →

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At a crossroads, Ohio River agency weighs dueling proposals on role

Posted on February 4, 2019 by John Blair

February 4, 2019 – by Keith Schneider for Energy News Network An industry-backed effort aims to end ORSANCO’s role in setting and enforcing pollution standards. In the course of his decorated career in environmental law, Tom FitzGerald tamed the scourge … Continue reading →

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5G and potential health risks.

Posted on December 19, 2018 by John Blair

December 19, 2018-Editor’s note: The Valley Watch office now has a “smart meter.” Across the street, is a Verizon cell tower and along two sides of our building runs a Vectren 134 Kilovolt transmission line. Before the cell tower and … Continue reading →

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U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy

Posted on November 24, 2018 by John Blair

November 23 November 23, 2018 – by  Coral Davenport and Kedra Pierre-Louis in the New York Times WASHINGTON — A major scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday presents the starkest warnings to date of the consequences of … Continue reading →

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IEEFA report: ‘Holy Grail’ of carbon capture continues to elude coal industry; ‘cautionary tale’ applies to domestic and foreign projects alike

Posted on November 23, 2018 by John Blair

November 23, 2018 – by IEEFA – Editor’s note, Valley Watch has long been opposed to the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) due to its deleterious economics.   Study details lack of economic feasibility around North American initiatives; costly and/or failed … Continue reading →

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Breathe easier in February. Henderson Muni to retire two Sebree units.

Posted on October 29, 2018 by John Blair

October 26, 2018-By Robert Walton, in UtilityDive. Dive Brief: Henderson Municipal Power and Light in Kentucky will close its coal plant early next year and turn to the open market for its power needs, as the aging plant’s energy production … Continue reading →

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Barbra Streisand releases “Don’t Lie to Me” video attacking Trump

Posted on October 13, 2018 by John Blair

October 13, 2018 – By Barbra Streisand

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A layman’s utility primer

Posted on October 11, 2018 by John Blair

October 8, 2018-Now You Know with Zac and Jesse  On today’s episode of “In Depth” Zac & Jesse talk about the overwhelming support by the public for going 100% renewable, and the what your utility isn’t telling you. Please consider … Continue reading →

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Air pollution causes ‘huge’ reduction in intelligence, study reveals

Posted on August 28, 2018 by John Blair

August 28, 2108 – by Damian Carrington and Lily Kuo in the Guardian Impact of high levels of toxic air ‘is equivalent to having lost a year of education’ Air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, according to new … Continue reading →

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Billions At Stake: Should We Invest In Struggling Power Plants Or Communities Facing Closures?

Posted on August 24, 2018 by John Blair

August 23, 2018 – by Sonia Aggarwal  in Forbes. Editor’s note: Coal-fired power plants in the Tri-State are experiencing similar issues in that they cannot compete in the marketplace of producing electricity due to a variety of economic and physical factors. None are less … Continue reading →

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Bucolic Indiana town to become mega industrial center

Posted on August 18, 2018 by John Blair

August 18, 2018 – by John Blair, Valley Watch president and editor of valleywatch.net Every few years someone pursuing a “get rich quick” scheme comes up with an idea to use coal as a feedstock for other forms of energy … Continue reading →

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Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor joins Valley Watch in opposing huge Vectren rate increasing proposal

Posted on August 13, 2018 by John Blair

August 13, 2018- by John Blair, valley watch.net editor  Today, for perhaps the first time ever, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor came out against a proposal by Vectren Corporation that if approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission … Continue reading →

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IEEFA update: Duke Energy’s costly Edwardsport coal-gasification project continues to underperform

Posted on August 1, 2018 by John Blair

August 1, 2018-by David Schlissel in IEEFA News Editor’s Note: Valley Watch has  steadfastly opposed this plant since it’s conception offering sage testimony at the original CPCN hearing in Bloomington in 2007. Duke Energy’s 5-year-old gasified coal power experiment in Edwardsport, Ind., has turned … Continue reading →

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Should a Cincinnati-based, multi-state commission eliminate its standards for Ohio River pollution?

Posted on July 12, 2018 by John Blair

July 11, 2018, by Nick Swartsell in (Cincinnati) City Beat. For seven decades, the Ohio River Water Sanitation Commission has overseen the health of the roughly 1,000-mile-long waterway that provides drinking water to more than 5 million people. But it may … Continue reading →

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