News: Media Center

NEW YORK (Oct. 6, 2006) -- The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has urged TXU Corp. to abandon its plans to build 11 conventional coal plants in Texas, calling the company's intentions "short-sighted and irresponsible" because they would increase human health problems, further damage the environment and hasten global warming.

In a strongly worded letter, NRDC President Frances G. Beinecke urged TXU officials to meet with her and the leaders of more than 30 other environmental groups, who also sent a similar letter to the Dallas-based power company this week, urging the firm to consider alternative ways to satisfy Texas' growing appetite for electricity. (The letter is available here.)

"There are better options to meet the electricity needs of Texas consumers and we ask that you work with us and others to pursue them," Beinecke wrote. "When the damages to human health and the environment from coal mining and combustion of coal in your proposed power plants are properly considered, choosing other resources and technologies to meet the electricity needs of TXU's customers will prove superior to your current plans."

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Related NRDC Pages
Letter to TXU Corp., 10/6/06