Coal power plants are the leading source of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the USA. The GHG emissions from just one typical new coal fired power plant is like adding one million new cars to the road. Dynegy is proposing to build 10 new coal fired power plants in 8 states, at a cost of nearly $12 billion, which is the biggest build out by any single company currently proposed in the USA. If financed and built, these plants would put out more than 65 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.

These new emissions would negate 70% of the UK government’s Kyoto Protocol reduction commitment, or 90% of Japan's Kyoto Protocol reduction commitment. In fact, these new emissions would have the same effect on the climate as doubling the total GHG emissions of certain countries, including those of Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland or New Zealand.

Additional health, social and environmental impacts from these plants are associated with coal mining and transportation as well as other dangerous emissions that come from coal combustion. Those include mercury, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides.