In early 2005, a web site was launched for the Nevada Clean Energy Coalition. The coalition consisted of 22 organizations, and accumulated over 4,500 signatures opposing a Sempra coal power plant that was planning to be built in Northwestern Nevada.
In March of 2006, Sempra gave up on it’s plan to build the plant and was looking into selling the plan to another company. As of July 2007, they announced that they would not sale their interest of the Granite Fox site.
The Nevada Clean Energy Coalition was focused on the impacts the new power plant would have on the environment, as well the effects to the health of people living near it. An aspect that really helped the site was giving the proposed project a face. After all, it’s a lot easier to understand something when you can actually see it.
By picking apart artist renderings and overlaying the sheer size of the plant over a photo of the proposed site, people could really get a sense for what was in store for the area. These powerful visuals were backed up with simple, easy to read lists of some of the negative effects the plant would cause if it were to be built.
The site urged it’s visitors to take action and supplied sample letters and direct links to the governmental officials where the letters were to be sent. It also provided downloadable information and news coverage of the proposed plant by harnessing the old Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, get out of copyright pass.
Beyond the negative aspects of the plant, there was also light provided towards alternative energy as the answer to the electrical demand. By remaining completely negative the message may have been muddied to the attitude that it’s going to have to be built somewhere. Instead it was focused on why build it at all, anywhere. Coal generated electricity is not needed and in fact California now prohibits utilities from entering into long-term contracts with conventional coal-fired power producers, ala California Senate Bill 1368.
While a web site certainly cannot stop a coal power plant on it’s own, it’s a good starting point. It takes dedicated individuals and groups to spread the word both online and off. I would certainly suggest that everyone should put up a fight against proposed coal power plants in their area. To get started go to Architecture 2030 to view a map of the proposed power plants in the US.
The Nevada Clean Energy web site was designed by Ideum.
The idea is simple and based upon the problem that most of the fruit that makes it into our grocery stores is transported great distances (1,000+ miles on average). All this energy, while a large percentage of fruit in people’s backyard simply goes to waste because most homeowners lack the time and interest to properly share or store this food.