Earth week screening of DamNation in Springfield

A free screening of the award-winning documentary DamNation is happening in Springfield on Thursday, April 23, 7pm. The film will be followed by guest speaker, professor Clark Bullard, who will speak on the locally proposed Hunter Dam. The Liberty Brew & View screening is hosted with Prairie Rivers Network at the Capital City Bar & Grill theater dining room.

This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to go mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access. DamNation’s majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in values, from conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part of nature.

Springfield Mayoral Election a Victory for Clean Energy

Illinois' largest public utility will now be overseen by a mayor who pledged to keep renewable energy as part of its energy mix.

Springfield's Democratic Mayor-elect Jim Langfelder deserves credit for talking about clean energy. Some candidates avoided the topic because it's controversial after a wind power contract became more costly than expected. With most local news outlets focused on utility finances and rate increases, Langfelder could have avoided taking a clear position on where our power comes from.

But voters were given a real choice between a modern energy mix with renewable energy or "we've always done it that way." Scare tactics about clean energy causing rate increases didn't work this time. Springfield is already a better clean energy leader than Chicago and now the progress can continue.

Coal was being mined in Springfield when Abraham Lincoln represented the city in the state legislature. But this year, a new clean energy future was a winning issue in a coal-country election.

Hunter Lake is still the dumbest idea in Springfield

I can't believe I still have to write about this. Hunter Lake is the dumbest idea going Springfield. Here's why:

1) There are good reasons why the permits were never approved last time and they still won't be approved after more money is wasted trying again. New dams like this one aren't getting built anymore. Anywhere.

2) Water usage is growing nowhere near the growth estimates CWLP used to demonstrate a supposed need. Water efficiency programs are working. And no, those programs have nothing to do with watering your lawn or washing your car.

3) The biggest water hogs in Springfield are the older coal power plants. They have a limited lifespan. When the two oldest coal boilers shut down then water usage will drop. A LOT. Which means there's zero need for a new Hunter mud flat.

4) Sunk cost fallacy. The fact that a lot of money has already been wasted on a bad idea is not a good reason to waste even more. I learned this in my freshman microeconomics course.

There's no good reason to waste millions more on a project nobody needs. Hunter Lake is nothing but a pork barrel project to make money for those who will finance and build it at taxpayer expense. It serves no other purpose.

Turn the land into a top notch nature area instead so Springfield will finally benefit from getting out of this foolish moneypit. We might even recover some of our losses down the road by selling the land to the Department of Natural Resources.

Mayor Houston should keep his word and stop wasting money on Hunter Dam

During the election, Springfield Mayor Mike Houston said something sensible about the proposed Hunter Dam. It's time to fish or cut bait. If the project is rejected by the Corps of Engineers again, he believed the city should cut its losses instead of relaunching the costly process of more studies and applications.

“If they’re going to make us go back and start redoing them, then I think it’s time to probably pull the plug on the second lake,” Houston said.

And here we are. Hunter dam was rejected by state and federal regulators yet again. But, some on the city council still haven't accepted reality and are trying to revive it. Keeping this bad idea alive will mean doing another series of environmental studies and starting the costly years-long process of getting approval from scratch. Houston should keep his word. It's time to let it go.

CWLP may be able to fool the city council with a comically flawed study of the alternatives. Attempting the same stunt with EPA and the Corps of Engineers would be a foolish waste of time and money. 

The biggest water hog in Springfield is CWLP's coal power plants. New federal pollution rules will require CWLP  (probably within the next five years) to either 1) shut down their older Dallman 1 & 2 coal units which date back to the 60's and early 70's, or 2) convert them to natural gas, or 3) spend millions upgrading pollution controls on plants that are already near the end of their lifespan. Thanks Obama! The newer Dallman 4 plant is less water intensive than the aging units. 

Shutting down or converting the older coal units will make CWLP's estimate of their supposed water needs obsolete. In the near future, the city will nearly eliminate the primary reason hunter dam was proposed: keeping Lake Springfield water levels high enough for the now-obsolete coal power plants. 

An ordinance to revive Hunter Dam is on the agenda for Tuesday's city council meeting. Citizens will be there in opposition Tuesday, March 4, 5pm at the Municipal Center West. You can submit this form in advance if you'd like to speak.

Just because a small group of people figured out a way to make lots of money on a project nobody needs, doesn't obligate city taxpayers to waste more money going down a dead-end road.

Definition: Sangamon County Republican Leader

A Sangamon county Illinois Republican leader is someone who bitterly complains about the corruption of Chicago machine Democrats, mostly out of jealousy that their own corrupt machine isn't in charge of state patronage jobs and contracts anymore.

Innovative bike lane design enters Chicago's Loop. Could it work in Springfield?

This weekend, I noticed crews painting an interesting bike lane layout in downtown Chicago. I snapped this picture in the South Loop on Dearborn, just south of Harrison.



After taking a second look, I noticed that the lane uses ideas I've heard about but haven't seen together in action. First, it's a two lane bicycle path, even though car traffic on Dearborn is one-way.

The bike lane is along the curb. If you look in the background, you'll see that there's still off-the-curbside street parking. There's a striped buffer zone in between the parking lane and the bike lane so that no one hits a biker while they open the car door. Pretty smart.

It didn't take a monstrous multi-million dollar construction project either. It just took a weekend of work crews repainting lines. It eliminates one car lane but traffic wasn't too crowded on this road anyway.

The bike lane will go through downtown Chicago. I found the city press release and noticed this quote:

“The Dearborn Street two-way protected bike lane project will balance roadway space to ensure pedestrians, transit users, bicyclists and motorists can travel along and across the street safely,” Klein said.

The goal of balancing pedestrian, bicycle and motor use reminds me of a very similarly worded recommendation in Springfield's SDAT study.

Roads in downtown Springfield cater to one type of user. They're designed for workers to get in and out of downtown as quickly as possible. That's understandable since there's a large population who commute from the edge of town, or the surrounding small towns, and go home as soon as the workday ends.

The many one-ways are not so convenient for out-of-town visitors, or anyone attempting to travel from one downtown destination to another. The clear message communicated by Springfield's downtown roads is, "get in and out fast, but don't stick around."

Springfield's narrow focus on cars is a barrier to downtown bike lanes as well. Some city leaders react with shocked indignation at the suggestion of removing a little curbside parking or painting new stripes on a road. But, reaching the goals of attracting new people and business activity to downtown requires rethinking 30-year old assumptions about transportation.

Edit: I'm adding a pic with a better view of the parking lane and buffer zone...

New $150 clothes washer rebate offered by CWLP!

Good news everyone! There's another rebate program from the Springfield CWLP Energy Services Office. Here's the press release with all the details...

 

CWLP OFFERING HIGH EFFICIENCY CLOTHES WASHER REBATES

Program runs from November 1st through January 31st while funds are available.

 

City Water, Light and Power residential electric and water customers who replace an existing clothes washer with a qualifying, new high-efficiency model will be eligible for a $150 rebate from the utility. Clothes washing accounts for more than 20 percent of the water used inside the average home. Older washers can use as much as 50 gallons of water per load, while today’s most high efficiency models use 50 percent less water and much less energy than their older counterparts. Survey results indicate Springfield residents average 5.5 loads of laundry per week.  

“Water conservation accomplished by use of the most efficient products is the easiest way to achieve savings because the technology does the work for you,” said Tom Skelly, CWLP Water Division Director. “For every washer that is replaced through this program, as much as 25 gallons of water per load could be saved. If that savings can be achieved in even just 100 more households across the city, that’s progress towards preserving water resources.” 

Qualifying clothes washers for the rebate program are labeled by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) as “Tier 3,” the most energy- and water-efficient.

Rebate funds are limited to the first 255 qualified applicants, which must be CWLP electric and water customers for purchases made during the program scheduled to run from Thursday, November 1st to Thursday, January, 31st. Only original rebate forms will be accepted and one rebate per household will be permitted. Rebates will be applied as a credit to the customer’s CWLP bill once the information on the application has been verified. Clothes washers being purchased for placement in a newly constructed home are not eligible for this program.

Rebate applications and program information will be available from CWLP’s Energy Service Office located at 231 S. 6th Street, 2nd floor. Qualifying customers may also contact the Energy Services Office at 789-2070 or nrgxprts@cwlp.com to request that a rebate application and the list of qualifying models be sent by U.S. Post. Information on the rebate program and a list of qualifying models is also available at: www.cwlp.com/energy_services/ESO_services_programs/washer_reb.htm

For more information on CWLP’s Water Conservation programs and rebates, contact CWLP’s Energy Services Office at 789-2070 or nrgxprts@cwlp.com. More information can also be found at www.cwlp.com on the Energy Services tab.

Government jobs lower Springfield area unemployment

Put some plastic on the floor before reading. Heads may explode.

The State Journal-Register reported that Springfield area unemployment is at a four year low, and it's mostly because GOVERNMENT DOES CREATE JOBS. According to an economist quoted in the article, “Most of the increase was in state and local government."

Did you know that was possible? Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney and the rest of their crew keep telling us that "government doesn't create jobs." They repeat it over and over again, as if saying it enough times will make it true.

Even congressional candidate (and lifelong government employee) Rodney Davis said the line in Springfield, where state and local government agencies are the top employers, followed by the health care industry, which is heavily dependent on federal spending. The same is true for the entire 13th Congressional district, and somehow, not everyone laughs when a talk-radio Republican trots out this talking point.

Springfield used to be known for having a recession-proof economy. The ups and downs of the national economy had less impact locally because Springfield's top employers were state government agencies that maintained a stable jobs base. That changed after Illinois elected a self-described "Reagan Democrat" who badmouthed bureaucrats and eliminated thousands of state jobs from the area.

Cuts to the state workforce created a localized recession. The anti-government conservative ideology did to the Springfield economy what no previous recession had been able to do.

When conservative candidates use this line, they're essentially saying that most of the people in central Illinois have jobs that don't really count. I don't understand how a public employee could vote for a candidate like that and still maintain self-respect about their job.

Wind farm ban becomes issue in Sangamon county board election

Proposed changes to the county wind farm ordinance have become an issue in the election for Sangamon county board seats. In August, I wrote about the county board threatening to turn away green jobs and clean energy by adopting the most extreme restrictions in Illinois. The post got some attention, including a promotion to the front page of DailyKos.

County board members punted the issue again by extending the ban on wind farms for another six months. Ordinance changes, which may halt development of a wind farm proposed in western Sangamon county, will be considered again after the election.

The delays, hesitation, and threatened destruction of a project that would create badly needed green jobs has been raised by several candidates challenging county board incumbents. Mike Ziri was the first to contact me after my blog post. Ziri is a Springfield Democrat running in district 11. Both Ziri and Mike Crews spoke in favor of wind farm jobs at the Liberty Brew & View candidate night last month. Crews referenced his opponent's vote for the wind farm moratorium in a campaign mailing.

The sponsor of the ordinance is Springfield county board member Tim Moore. I contacted his election opponent, Tony DelGiorno, to ask if this is an issue in his race. He speaks about it with voters while knocking on doors and it's included on his campaign website. Tony sent me this quote:

"In my opinion, Sangamon County should be among the pioneers in renewable energy alternatives in the State of Illinois.  Other communities and counties in Illinois have successfully built wind farms, minimized adverse consequences, and reaped the rewards of increase property tax revenue and the creation of green jobs. The so-called moratorium and overly restrictive ordinance put forward by my opponent demonstrates the shear lack of leadership, ingenuity, and forward thinking that has stagnated the county board.  We need new leadership with new ideas."

Those are refreshing words compared to the hemming and hawing from county board members who seem unable to resolve the issue. My impression is that many Republican board members are hesitating partly due to pressure from a small, but vocal, group of opponents. The dynamics can change if they realize there will be a political cost for stopping the wind farm.

Candidates are making their final push before the election. If you speak with a Sangamon county board candidate, ask whether they support wind farm jobs, and then give your support to those who do.

If you live elsewhere, remember that energy is not just a national issue. Local officials in your area have a large voice in whether we stick with dirty energy sources or build a new energy future.


Note: I didn't want to procrastinate this blog post any longer so I didn't attempt to contact every candidate. If other candidates send me their position, I'll be happy to post those as well.

Springfield divided on rail issue

I knew my rail editorial in the Illinois Times would be unpopular with much of Springfield's business and political establishment who have developed a groupthink mentality about rail consolidation. So, I was a little surprised by how much positive feedback I got. Many people told me they agree and I got a few emails like this one:
"Yaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!! Somebody finally said out loud what I've been thinking....thank you."

Throughout the entire debate one viewpoint has been hammered into the public. We've been told repeatedly that Springfield is united, as if saying so enough times would make it true. In fact, there has always been a sizable number of people skeptical about the contradictory and unsupported claims coming from local leaders.

A response printed this week doesn't seriously address the issues I raised but they did introduce a new scare tactic. Their principle argument can be summed up as, "This is a really old idea we've studied lots of times and we already bought some land, so just trust the experts."

The writers mentioned that two social service agencies would be relocated. They didn't acknowledge the other half dozen agencies immediately surrounding the proposed site.
They didn't address how the city would make room for residential or commercial development without relocating the remaining agencies.
They didn't address how the city can make a multimodal center appealing to foot traffic if it's still surrounded by shelters and rehab centers.
I get the impression that maybe those questions haven't been thought through.

They developed a new scare tactic by claiming that there can be no multimodal transit center unless it's on 10th. That contradicts previous claims that the city simply hasn't bothered to study whether a multimodal on 3rd could work. It also defies common sense. The Amtrak station is surrounded by a parking lot to the east and a parking garage to the south. To the north is an eyesore building begging to be torn down and another parking lot. There's plenty of room, although it may have to look different than what's proposed for 10th.

The refusal of local governments to consider something different that would work in the available space doesn't mean it can't be done. This tactic is typical of the exaggerated claims citizens have been subjected to, much like the horrifying postcards consolidation advocates distributed while the planning commission refused to develop a more appealing remediation plan for the 3rd street corridor. Residents weren't told that we have other options for 3rd corridor remediation.

They reference the Tier 2 study several times, but as I pointed out, previous studies focused on the problems associated with freight rail without seriously considering which location is best for a passenger rail station. It's a perfect example of how the results of study can be manipulated by limiting the scope of discussion. The corridor study conducted locally had to be reworked after criticism from federal officials that it didn't consider all reasonable options. I suggested during the public comment period that they consider how a multimodal center on 3rd could benefit downtown development, and they didn't bother. They only concluded that it would limit expansion of the medical district, but Memorial has begun two expansions since those claims were made.

Worse still, the editorial echos the language of the corridor study group that rail is a relic of the past. This implies that they're ignoring the national push to expand passenger rail and reaffirms my impression that consolidation advocates are overly focused on road traffic.

Some of their arguments may explain the groupthink of city leaders. They point out that it's close to the convention center. Also, the idea was first proposed decades ago, and they already spent money buying land.

Sangamon county Republicans control the convention center board, the Springfield Mass Transit board, the regional planning commission and the patronage jobs in each of those bodies. It inspires no confidence that studies conducted by bodies at the behest of the same small circle of local Republican leaders, who all knew what results they were looking for in advance, all came to the same conclusion. They're all working on the same team, and agencies knew their studies were expected to support an idea developed at least 30 years ago. Of course that team likes a multimodal center whose only obvious economic development benefit is that it might help out their friends who run the convention center.

Just because they made up their mind about something decades ago, and have refused to consider alternatives, doesn't make passenger rail on 10th the best option. There are advantages and disadvantages no matter what Springfield chooses to do. What really irritates me is the way citizens have been propagandized and manipulated throughout this process. Many of us remain un-united.

My high speed rail guest editorial in Illinois Times

My guest editorial in Illinois Times will surely annoy some of my friends and many of Springfield's local leaders. But, I'm not convinced that the 30-year old ideas about where to locate mass transit are the most well thought out. The way Springfield residents have been propagandized on the rail issue is offensive.

The businesses which might be most inconvenienced by an expanded Third Street corridor facility are a luxury car dealership and the private Sangamo Club. I suppose their clientele have more clout than citizens who use social services near 10th. That those most in need in our community are also the most likely to have services dislocated by rail consolidation is a serious social and environmental justice problem. 

Springfield could have spent the past two years discussing the least painful way to accommodate freight traffic resulting from the new Joliet rail terminal. Instead, we have been presented a worst-case scenario with exaggerated postcard images and a steady drumbeat of hyperbole. We have been told a multimodal transit center would bring economic development to 10th Street, but mysteriously, the same facility would bring economic ruin on Third. It’s past time to have a calm discussion about passenger rail without the scare campaign.

Find the rest here.

The best location for Springfield passenger rail

The following are my comments to IDOT regarding the Springfield section of the draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Chicago to St. Louis High Speed Rail corridor.

Springfield has had an auto-centric discussion of the high speed rail issue. Much attention has been focused on how rail interrupts auto-traffic while there has been very little discussion of what location is the most suitable for passenger rail combined with a multi-modal facility.

Decreasing use of oil is a vital national interest for both economic and environmental reasons. Good passenger rail can also be an effective tool for slowing sprawl and bringing more people to the city center. For that reason, it's important that Springfield pick a location that will increase rather than decrease use of mass transit.

The studies conducted so far warn of a bottleneck if rail traffic is consolidated on the 10th street corridor. Delays caused by freight traffic are perhaps the most common and annoying inconvenience of riding Amtrak. So, it's extremely encouraging that every Amtrak ride I've taken from Springfield to Chicago has been on time or early since track improvements along the corridor have been completed. Reliable, on-time service will result in more ridership.

IDOT should fully consider the implications of consolidation making Springfield a bottleneck that could routinely throw passenger rail off schedule for the St. Louis to Chicago line.

Additionally, there are many local issues to consider. The location for a 10th street corridor passenger multi-modal center proposed by county and city officials is currently a community hub for important non-profit groups, local government offices, and social service agencies. The surrounding blocks include:

Salvation Army rehabilitation center, shelter and thrift store
Triangle counseling and rehabilitation center
Catholic Charities crisis center and food pantry
Contact Ministries shelter and other services
Planned Parenthood
Urban League building
Computer Banc
Springfield Housing Authority building
The County jail and courthouse is also nearby.

The area leaves little room for commercial or residential development. Proponents of the 10th street location suggest that it would spur economic development in the surrounding area. That's an unrealistic goal unless social service agencies are forced out of the neighborhood. No county or city leader has disclosed the costs of doing so or plans for where the agencies would be compelled to relocate. It's doubtful whether all of the cash-strapped non-profits would be able to remain downtown in close proximity to each other, and the citizens they serve, if forced to move.

The alternative is to leave most of these valued social service agencies where they are. Some would be forced out to make room for the multi-modal facility, such as Salvation Army and Planned Parenthood. It's difficult to understand why the city council would approve $1.8 million in TIF funds for the Salvation Army site if they're serious about using the location for a multi-modal center. Those funds would be wasted.

Good multi-modal centers should be located where people feel comfortable walking at night and leaving their car for the weekend.

I'm glad we have these service agencies in Springfield. But, imagine what sort of welcome a 10th street facility would make to those visiting the city. Nothing says "welcome to Springfield!" like asking visitors trying to reach their hotel or tourist site to run a gauntlet of people going to and from a shelter, rehab center or the county jail. Is that really the best way to encourage visitors to travel by train? The location could only discourage tourists and business travelers from using mass transit. It's also less convenient for professionals and citizen lobbyists who visit the Capitol complex during legislative sessions.

It's difficult to imagine a location in Springfield less suitable for a passenger rail station than the proposed 10th street corridor.

Let's compare the 10th street location to the 3rd street corridor where the Amtrak station is currently located. Springfield recently spent $571,500 in TIF funds upgrading the station. Across the street to the South is a vital part of any multi-modal facility: a municipal parking garage.

The station shares the block with a parking lot. Across the street to the north is another parking lot and a building which appears to be unused. Much of the infrastructure needed for a multi-modal facility, plus room to expand, already exists at the 3rd street location.

The block east of the current Amtrak station includes commercial, retail and residential space currently advertised for lease. Much of the downtown business district is within three short blocks. All of these locations would benefit from the increased foot traffic that comes with a good public transit center. It could become a focal point of downtown revitalization. That however, would require city leaders to view passenger rail as an advantage, rather than merely an inconvenience that slows the speed at which cars race away from downtown.

Passenger rail service should be located in an area convenient to foot traffic and where it strengthens businesses in the city center, as Bloomington/Normal and Champaign/Urbana have done. By both measures, the existing Amtrak station is a far superior location.

The businesses which might be most inconvenienced by a multi-modal facility on 3rd are a luxury car dealership across the tracks and the private Sangamo Club. I suppose the owners and clientele of those businesses have more clout than those who use the social service agencies. Perhaps that has been a driving factor behind public discussion of this decision. The fact that those most in need in the community are also the most likely to have services dislocated by 10th Street consolidation is a serious social/environmental justice issue.

At every point in the public process, local leaders have avoided discussion of which location is more suitable for passenger rail and have instead focused on the inconveniences posed by the inevitable increase in freight traffic resulting from the new Joliet rail terminal.

I submitted a comment to the previous Springfield corridor study (conducted by Hanson Engineering and a community panel) suggesting that the potential economic growth benefits for the area surrounding 3rd be examined. The question was ignored. Instead, the study limited its conclusions to the claim that leaving 3rd street rail in place would prevent expansion in the medical district. Since then, Memorial began construction on an expansion in the medical district with a new building near the tracks. Personally, I felt one of the best benefits of living in the medical district was being in walking distance of the Amtrak station.

That previous study was flawed because it did not consider the most appealing location for passenger rail. Springfield leaders have failed to discuss how improved mass transit at the present location would attract new residents and increase property values in the nearby medical district and downtown. Additionally, the manner in which most informational meetings were conducted, where individuals had to ask questions to staff one-on-one, did not include a public comment component that might have exposed residents to issues and concerns outside what has been voiced by local officials. Further, the citizen advisory groups did not include representatives from organizations which specifically advocate for improved passenger rail and mass transit service.

Springfield could have spent the past two years discussing the best way to accommodate increased rail traffic on the 3rd street corridor. Instead, residents have been presented a worst case scenario with misleading post card images, unsupported horror stories about the Dana Thomas house crumbling apart, and a steady drumbeat of hyperbole. We have been told a multi-modal facility would bring economic development to the area surrounding 10th street, but mysteriously, the same facility would bring economic ruin if located on 3rd. I'm afraid that many comments received by IDOT will likely be based on misconceptions spread by a fear campaign, rather than an objective, informed analysis. I hope that IDOT will not allow itself to be bullied by city and county officials who refuse to consider anything other than their initial proposal.

I can only speculate as to why some city leaders are insistent on a poor location for passenger rail. The location was discussed decades ago when there was still a public housing complex near the 10th street corridor. Some people still hold to the outdated notion that mass transit should primarily be used by those who have no other option due to poverty or disability, such as many of those utilizing the social service facilities along 10th. A 10th street multi-modal facility makes perfect sense if one makes decisions based on those obsolete assumptions.

In contrast, successful mass transit will appeal to everyone, including those who have the option of driving.

I hope IDOT will be of service to the residents of Springfield by fully exploring these unexamined issues.

Can Springfield CWLP afford to keep Dallman 1 & 2 coal boilers running?

A rate hike proposed for Springfield City Water Light & Power customers would have the utility double down on a bad bet.

CWLP went into debt to build the new power plant and reasonably assumed that it could pay down that debt by selling excess power to the wholesale market outside Springfield. Instead, power demand dropped dramatically when the recession hit, leaving CWLP with far less revenue than expected. A rate increase is now being requested to increase revenue and pay down the remaining debt.

At Tuesday night's city council meeting, Mayor Houston said the proposed rate increase would only keep the utility afloat for a few years until they could begin generating more revenue by selling excess power again. Houston is betting that demand for coal power will significantly increase within a few years.

At the same time, CWLP proposes going deeper into debt to upgrade and maintain its oldest coal boilers, Dallman units 1 & 2. Like an old clunker car, these units are becoming financial liabilities, both because of their age and due to new environmental regulation. Coal units of a similar size and age are being retired across the country because coal companies know it's no longer cost effective to maintain and upgrade them.

CWLP deserves credit for running a coal fleet with better pollution controls than most other coal utilities, certainly in comparison to others in Illinois. But, new regulation and required maintenance will make the late 60's and early 70's era Dallman 1 & 2 units a money-pit.

Springfield doesn't need these smaller units to meet its energy needs, so the only reason to keep shoveling money into them is in the hopes that they can eventually be used to sell excess power on the wholesale market. There are several factors that make this a risky gamble.

1) State and federal energy efficiency policies will keep power demand from rising rapidly. The federal stimulus bill spent billions on efficiency projects. The Illinois energy efficiency standard will keep demand down within the state. If these policies are only partially successful then we can't expect a quick return to pre-recession power demand.

2) Demand for new energy will be for clean sources, not aging coal plants. Illinois' renewable energy portfolio standard requires that an increasing amount of the state's power come from wind and solar, not polluting coal plants. President Obama proposed a similar standard at the federal level. Additionally, community aggregation will likely result in more cities demanding clean energy.

3) Natural gas may remain cheaper than coal for at least several years. A fracking boom is about to start in Illinois. Even if fracking is better regulated, as it badly needs to be, it's likely that natural gas will be cheaper than power produced from the Dallman 1 & 2 boilers, which are less efficient than the newer Dallman 3 & 4 units. Also, wind power is coming down in price as it remains the fastest growing energy source in America.

These can all be difficult realities to accept for a coal-based utility, but Springfield can no longer afford to do things because "we've always done it that way." The economics of coal are rapidly changing.

The most likely scenario is that CWLP will go even deeper into debt to maintain its two oldest, smallest coal boilers, and still not be able to use them to generate significant revenue from sales to the wholesale market. We're digging ourselves deeper into the hole by keeping Dallman 1 & 2 running.

The city council shouldn't be rushed. They can pass a city budget tonight without a CWLP rate increase. Then ask CWLP to come back with another proposal that reflects what it would cost to retire its oldest, least efficient coal boilers instead of going deeper into debt to maintain units that we don't need.

CWLP's chief engineer stated that not passing the rate increase would force significant changes in how the utility operates. That may not be a bad thing.

Mayor Houston outlines sprawl agenda for Springfield

If you want to know what's really going on in Springfield you have to read the Business Journal. Business and political leaders are a little more clear about their plans for the future in the Business Journal than they are in other media outlets. One example is an editorial by Mayor Mike Houston titled "Retail Revolution good for Springfield" in their July 2011 issue.

He begins by referencing White Oaks Mall, which had opened shortly before Houston's first term as mayor in 1979, and how the resulting development on the southwest end moved the city's retail center away from downtown. He states that "a similar sort of retail revolution is about to take place" around Scheels along the MacArthur Extension.

Houston argues that this will benefit the entire city, and not just one geographic area, because "a rising tide floats all ships. This larger economic base will be a great asset as we continue to market our community to other potential retailers."

This claim, that sprawl on the edge of town won't detract from the city center, is an article of faith among Springfield's business and political establishment. Everyone is expected to believe that new development on the MacArthur extension won't detract from downtown, won't create vacant stores on the Southwest end, and will even bring new businesses to older sections of MacArthur Blvd.

Since Houston is making the comparison to White Oaks Mall, it's fair to reflect on what happened during that phrase of sprawl.

Did sprawl on the southwest end lift downtown or did it help empty out downtown retail activity? Did central neighborhoods deteriorate as newer houses were built on the southwest end? Did the city center suffer from neglect as limited resources were spent to build new infrastructure on the edge of town?

Any fair minded observer would have to admit that the last hiccup of commercial sprawl most certainly did not lift all ships. What we have on the southwest end is ugly, poorly planned sprawl with the city's most accident-prone intersections and stores that are inaccessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. At the same time, downtown and central neighborhoods suffered as businesses abandoned a sinking ship. Most other cities have had the same experience.

So, will Springfield do anything differently this time? Can we keep doing the same thing and expect a different result?

Groups like the central neighborhood associations, the MacArthur Blvd Association, and Downtown Springfield Inc should reexamine the "rising tide floats all boats" theory. The sprawl agenda being pushed by the Chamber and Q5 may not be in their best interests.

Sybia lands at Edwards Mansion

I caught glimpses of a new sculpture while driving by the Springfield Art Association next to Edwards Place. Today I decided to get a closer look.




Local sculptor Travis Taylor calls it Sybia.





I've been told that neighbors objected when it was previously in his front yard. I can't imagine why. :)





I love it. Springfield needs more public art.

Tim Davlin

I wasn't going to write anything because it didn't seem respectful. But, I appreciated hearing people share their reflections on WMAY, and I noticed that people are finding their way to this blog by searching his name.

I only had half a dozen or so conversations with Mayor Davlin which were mostly small talk. Like everyone else in Springfield, I remember how welcoming and friendly he was. Even when he had something to be annoyed at, he reacted with a joke and a smile. I was a little jealous that he had a better politician smile than me.

Most of my interaction with Tim was due to my role as a local Sierra Club leader. I was worried he would back away from environmental issues and the Sierra Club after the clean energy agreement with CWLP became so controversial. Instead of backing down, he went on to declare Springfield a Cool City and pledged to do more. I was thrilled at the Cool Cities press conference when he said how proud he was of the CWLP-Sierra Club agreement. More recently, he told a meeting of the Cool Cities Advisory Council that he wanted to put Springfield at the top of "Green City" lists.

The fact that he didn't first run on a platform of being an environmental mayor makes me respect his commitment even more. I know some people dismiss the Sierra Club agreement because they think the city was "forced" into it and had no other option. But, there were other utilities in the same situation that didn't have the foresight or willingness to work out that kind of compromise. It wasn't easy.

Davlin received more praise for the clean energy agreement in the national press than he did locally. Personally, I'll remember him as the friendly mayor who oversaw one of the best decisions Springfield ever made.

Springfield Environmental Hall of Fame

The Environmental Hall of Fame stopped in Springfield last week to recognize Springfield for it's efforts, including the clean energy agreement with the Sierra Club over the new power plant.



(Jennifer Sublett presented the recognition to myself for the Sierra Club, Mayor Tim Davlin for the city of Springfield, and Todd Renfrow for CWLP)


I accepted the award on behalf of the Sierra Club. It gave me the chance to remark that I'm happy to see the city maintain it's commitment to the goals in the power plant agreement, and that the most exciting parts of the agreement are happening right now in CWLP's Energy Services Office.

Energy efficiency is where we'll make the largest reductions in CO2 nationally. In Springfield, it will help customers save money on their utility bill and make Springfield more attractive to businesses. New programs are being funded through the Environmental Initiatives Fund created by the Sierra Club/CWLP agreement and from federal stimulus grants.

The next steps are to keep going with new efficiency projects and develop local sources of renewable energy.

Springfield named top green city...again

I never got around to writing about Springfield being named one of the top mid-sized green cities by NRDC's Smarter Cities rankings. We're ranked #4 overall and #1 in air quality. We even beat out liberal towns like Eugene, OR and Berkeley, CA.

The city profile highlights Springfield's use of wind power, shutting down the old Lakeside power plant, and energy efficiency programs like the Refrigerator Roundup. The city got high marks in a few other areas but we didn't score as well on transportation.

The rankings and national stories about Springfield's commitment to clean energy are becoming almost routine, but we risk turning back the progress we've made if people become complacent.

Smokey and the Bandit

I was in Conservation World at the State Fair last week wearing my shirt of Smokey swinging a shovel at a boy scout who started a camp fire. When Smokey the Bear walked by I knew it was my only chance to get this picture.





Being a dork is fun.

I Buy Springfield

I'm glad to see a group like the Capital Area Independent Business Alliance and I'm eager to find out what they do next.

It's not always easy, but I shop local and skip the big-box stores as much as possible. I haven't bought anything at a Walmart in at least seven years. If I'm going out to eat, I always think about locally owned restaurants first.

Capital Area Independent Business Alliance from iMakeTV.com on Vimeo.

The national and local Chamber of Commerce made it clear that they aren't reliable advocates for locally owned businesses. In the Springfield area, they supported several new Walmarts and proposed a restaurant tax that would hurt locals. They help turn city planning decisions over to those who have a financial interest in sprawl, which usually benefits big-box chains over local businesses.

As much as I appreciate what the Chamber does locally for charitable causes, it's difficult to ignore their extremist, pro-poverty, anti-union, anti-environment political agenda.

I don't know whether the Alliance see themselves as an alternative to the Chamber. My hope is that it becomes a group that progressive community leaders can work with without having to check their values at the door.