Testimony on Vectren's Proposed Natural Gas Plant and Coal Retrofits

Clients: Citizens Action Coalition, Valley Watch, and Sierra Club

Tyler Comings

August 2018

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition, Valley Watch, and Sierra Club, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings testified on Vectren's plan to install a new natural gas plant and retrofit an existing coal plant. Mr. Comings recommended that the plan be rejected. He found that the Vectren's plan was not least cost, nor least risk--even according to the company's own modeling. He concluded that the company was overbuilding capacity, exposing ratepayers to excessive market risk, and biased against alternative resources.

Link to Testimony

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The Future of the Martin Drake Power Plant

Client: Green Cities Coalition and Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society

Tyler Comings and Bryndis Woods

November 2017

On behalf of Green Cities Coalition and Southeastern Colorado Renewable Energy Society, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared an Applied Economics Clinic report regarding the Martin Drake Power Plant. The Colorado Springs City Council has ordered that Martin Drake units 6 and 7 should be decommissioned no later than December 31, 2035, and that it would consider earlier dates. In response, Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is evaluating 2025 or 2030 decommissioning for units 6 and 7. Based on the information available to us, we conclude that the CSU Board should consider Martin Drake for decommissioning earlier than 2035—and certainly prior to making large capital investments in the plant—due to: the plant's inefficiencies, more efficient competition both now and in the future, failure to adequately consider alternatives, the ability to rely on regional supply, and the health impacts associated with the plant's location in a city center.

Link to Report News Coverage

Link to Report

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Testimony on NIPSCO's Petition for CPCN Approval of Recovery for Environmental Compliance Measures

Client: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Author: Liz Stanton, PhD

April 2017

On behalf of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided testimony before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commissions in Cause No.44872 regarding Northern Indiana Public Service Company's (NIPSCO) request to recover environmental compliance costs related to coal combustion residuals (coal ash).

Link to Stanton Testimony

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