Dynegy coal power plants United States

Dynegy LS Power is currently planning to construct more new coal-fired power plants than any other company in the USA, which will result in very large increases in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). GHG emissions contribute to climate change, as well as increased discharges of pollutants that threaten public health and air quality.

Banks should declare a moratorium in financing new coal-fired power plants as an urgent climate protection measure. Capital should instead be directed at energy efficiency and renewable energy financing opportunities.

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.