A Texas state judge blocks the governor’s order to fast-track the approval process for proposed coal-fired electricity generating plants. The judge requires the State Office of Administrative Hearings to conduct further hearings on whether permits should be granted for the power plants.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) tells legislators from the Group of Eight industrialized countries that he is drafting a bill that would block construction of the coal-fired power plants in Texas unless the plants incorporate emerging technologies to improve their efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Kerry says the plants will make it nearly impossible for the United States to curb its greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
