Regarding the June 2007 article “Clearing the Air in the Twin Cities,” it is unbelievable that the Minnesota legislature in 2001 would encourage utilities to make voluntary emissions reduction by switching from coal-fired to natural-gas-fired generation. It is irresponsible decisions like this that have caused the United States to come into the energy crisis in which we now find ourselves.

The U.S. is importing very large quantities of liquefied natural gas from other countries that is being used in electric generation plants. After the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s, natural gas was prohibited from being used for electric generation. These rules have been eliminated, causing a considerable additional usage of natural gas at an ever-increasing price. Therefore, we are now experiencing a natural gas shortage in this country.

There is at least a 200-year supply of coal within the U.S. The natural gas situation is becoming very tight because of switching coal plants to gas and allowing new generation to use natural gas. This is making us more dependent on foreign energy sources rather than use our available resources. However, the efficiency of a generating station can be increased by switching from coal to natural gas because electric engines are not required for all the scrubbing devices that are needed in a coal-fired generating plant.

It would be far better if Minnesota and other state legislatures would encourage greater installation of equipment to make coal-fired generating plants more efficient and cleaner burning rather than switch to natural gas.

Rudolf K. Stegelmann, Energy Consultant
Goshen, Ind.

Amplification: The Distributed Generation column for June 2007 did not mention in a project profile on the Ritz-Carlton Hotel that Capstone Turbine Corporation manufactured the 60 kW microturbines used in the project.

Correction: On page 42 of the June issue the first sentence uses the word “anthropomorphic.” The reference should have been to “anthropogenic” influences.