Area leaders form power-plant support committee

The Vote Yes for Local Power Supply Committee comprises business leaders, senior citizens, educators, environmentalists and representatives from a handful of other sectors.

Members plan to spend the coming weeks speaking to organizations, raising money, mailing information, collecting supporters’ signatures and spreading the word through various media outlets, said committee chair Matt Morrow, executive officer of Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield.

On the city’s June 6 ballot is a $615 million bond issue that would fund the construction of a second City Utilities power plant in Springfield – a project that voters rejected in August 2004.

Morrow said the committee’s main goal is to educate voters, as he says most plant opponents have several misconceptions.

“It’s vitally important to get all the power supply questions answered, because when people know about the issue and feel like they understand it, they’re more likely to vote yes,” he said.

Many opponents are against rate increases – about $9.63 per month – that would result from the new plant, Morrow said, but rate increases are inevitable, regardless of the plan of action. CU has said if the plant is rejected, needed power will be purchased from outside sources, raising monthly rates by about $17.49.

Another misconception is that the second plant would harm the environment, Morrow said.

“This provides cleaner air and cleaner water,” he said. “It’s a much more efficient plant than anything online today, and the older, dirtier plant would run less.”

Morrow said he believes the proposal has a better chance of passing than its 2004 predecessor because the rate increase won’t take place until 2010 and the increase will disappear after the plant is paid off.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s April 26 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.