Lancaster, other Best Southwest cities officially get to fight TXU

The Lancaster City Council officially approved city membership in the Coalition of Clean Air Cities, a group founded by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller to battle TXU’s plans to build numerous new coal-fired power plants in the state.

And now, the CCAC has been made an official party to the hearing protesting Gov. Rick Perry’s “expedited” speed-up of attempts to OK the plants.

From a Sierra Club press release:

A broad range of opponents showed up in Austin Dec. 14 to battle six proposed TXU coal-fired power plants in a preliminary contested case hearing conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). Those opposing the granting of permits to build and operate the power plants included the Sierra Club and other national environmental groups, new Texas rural citizen groups, the Clean Air Coalition of Cities, the Waco Chamber of Commerce, and numerous individuals from around the state.

The Clean Air Coaltion of Cities includes Lancaster and other Best Southwest cities and other Metroplex suburbs, along with Dallas and Houston.

In the one of the central issues of the hearing, the SOAH Judges allowed party status to the Clean Air Coalition of Cities, which represents city and county governments from across the State and most recently, independent school districts. Begun by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, the Coalition has raised litigation funds from its members and has grown in recent months to include city and county governments in many areas where the coal plants are planned.

Oh, all that coal that Texas allegedly has? Wyoming lignite will likely be the primary fuel for the plants.