FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2003

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brenna Kriviskey Sadler
(414) 276-6237

STATE REPORT RECONFIRMS WE ENERGIES' PROPOSED OAK CREEK COAL EXPANSION IS WRONG WAY TO POWER WISCONSIN'S FUTURE
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Final Environmental Impact Statement: Even with Cap on Cost Overruns, Coal Costs More, Pollutes More

Marc Looze, clean air campaign director for Clean Wisconsin and a spokesman for Responsible Energy for Southeastern Wisconsin's Tomorrow (RESET), today issued the following statement regarding the Public Service Commission and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' final Environmental Impact Statement pertaining to We Energies' proposed coal power plant expansion in Oak Creek. RESET is a coalition of nearly 40 business, health, environmental, citizen, religious and other groups - representing more than 50,000 individuals - advocating cleaner, more responsible fuel choices at Oak Creek.

"This report plainly shows We Energies' proposed coal expansion plan is the wrong choice for Southeastern Wisconsin - it will cost more, pollute more and threaten public health and the environment. We Energies' army of high-priced lobbyists, advertising and PR firms are doing whatever they can to steamroll this plan through Madison, and it's good to see that the facts prevailed in this important document.

"The EIS reconfirms what the PSC and DNR said in their draft report. It reconfirms that even with a cap on cost overruns, We Energies' proposed coal plants cost more than other, cleaner options. It reconfirms that additional expenses associated with coal - like real costs of coal pollution and the cost overruns the company already expects - make alternatives even cheaper. And, most importantly, it reconfirms that - despite what We Energies wants so badly for us to believe - if more coal plants are built, air quality will suffer.

"While the facts presented in the EIS are damning on their own, there are certain key areas that still must be addressed. For example, two Harvard University scientists and another internationally respected researcher have concluded, based on complex computer modeling, that health damages from We Energies' proposed new coal plants would be $170 million to $190 million per year. That's more than $3 billion over the lifetime of the plants. This staggering public health cost must be considered by policymakers and regulators and factored into the overall cost of WE's plan, which would make it even more expensive than cleaner, healthier alternatives.

"Our state has a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for its citizens, foster economic growth and jobs and ensure reliable power. The EIS confirms that We Energies' coal-only plan for Oak Creek is not the answer. Viable alternatives - including a combination of gas, energy efficiency and wind, do exist. We believe this analysis provides the facts that are so lacking in We Energies' lobbying effort and will help policymakers in Madison see that Wisconsin should not - and need not - pay more for dirty power."


Brian Knox
bknox@zeppos.com
Zeppos & Associates, Inc.
400 East Mason Street/Suite 200
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3703
Phone 414-276-6237/ FAX 414-276-2322
Specialists in Public Relations and Government Affairs
www.zeppos.com