Community Responds to Coal Retirement Delays

Milwaukee, WI – The Clean Power Coalition of Southeast Wisconsin held a press conference today in response to We Energies’ announcement that they would be delaying the retirement of the South Oak Creek coal-fired power plant and calling on the utility to develop a plan for a just transition off of fossil fuels. Community leaders from religious, political, activist and health professional backgrounds expressed their frustration over WE’s decision and are concerned about the health and environmental effects of these unnecessary delays.

In response Sister Janet Weyker, former Oak Creek neighbor, said “The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that we are in “code red” for humanity because of climate change. The burning of fossil  fuels, especially coal, is a leading contributor to the emissions that are causing our climate crisis. The delay in closing the Oak Creek plant contributes to this crisis.”

In response, Abby Novinska-Lois, Executive Director Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action said, “The delayed retirement of the Oak Creek coal plant will lead to the unnecessary deaths for Wisconsinities and will harm predominantly Black and Brown communities already suffering from injustice. As health workers, we are bound by our professional code of ethics and oaths to do no harm, which is why we need to speak out about the suffering this decision will cause. Since we are given no choice about which company supplies our local electricity, this delayed retirement means that turning on the lights in our homes, hospitals, and health centers will directly hurt the patients we serve. Decades of health research show that the well-being of our communities is harmed by the neurotoxins, nephrotoxins, and carcinogens that spew into our air and water every second that coal burns.”

In response, Keviea Guiden, Energy Burden Organizer from Citizen Action said, “These plants impose health risks like asthma, heart attacks, bronchitis and ultimately death. Today as an Energy Burden Organizer I stand here as a strong voice for our communities and demand WE Energies to change. To do what’s right for us as human beings and the climate. It’s time for WE to invest in clean energy and in energy efficiency measures!”

In response, Milwaukee County Supervisor Steven Shea said, “We who care about this planet for the benefit of future generations call upon We Energies to change its ways and move from fossil fuels to renewables. We call upon We Energies to put the health of this planet and its customers ahead of its own greed. The time isn’t a few generations or years down the road. The time is now!”

In response, State Senator Chris Larson said,  “Clean energy isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s exceedingly popular. WE Energies knows this, and their recently announced delay in transitioning to green energy shows them trying to have their cake and eat it too – gaining good press for promising something they can’t deliver, and continuing to profit while failing to make good on their own promises. We can’t trust for-profit corporations like WE Energies to do what’s right for our environment or public health. We need binding regulations that turn pinky promises into actionable commitments.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.