WASHINGTON, March 2 (UPI) -- Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is planning legislation to stop TXU from building coal plants that don't use carbon capture technology.
Kerry, chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Technology and Innovation subcommittee, made his comments about the soon-to-be-proposed bill at the Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment meeting in Washington this week, the American-Statesman reported.
The bill isn't finalized and it may or may not target TXU specifically or apply to all new proposed coal plant projects. Vince Morris, a spokesman for Kerry, said they intend to file the proposal by the end of the upcoming President's Day weekend.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, has consistently opposed TXU's new plants.
"Our wallets, our lungs, our planet cannot afford the hit these irresponsible TXU plants would deliver," Doggett said.
Spokeswoman for TXU, Kim Morgan, couldn't comment on the bill but said while the the company's designs for its plants don't include specific plans for carbon capture, they do leave room for modifications after development.
"I'm pleased to see that TXU was open to working with the environmental community and I'd like to see similar cooperation extended in other parts of the country," Kerry said, "however, given what we know about these outdated coal plants, we cannot afford to be building them. Period. We need to learn more about this specific deal and the technologies available."
