For Congress' top two leaders, the effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions begins at home. Or at least at the home office.
In a letter Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urged the acting architect of the Capitol to begin steps to convert the Capitol Power Plant from coal to natural gas. ''The switch to natural gas will allow the CPP to dramatically reduce carbon and criteria pollutant emissions, eliminating more than 95% of sulfur oxides and at least 50% of carbon monoxide,'' they wrote.
The 99-year-old plant, which is owned by Congress and sits a few blocks from the Capitol, burns coal to heat and cool various government buildings nearby. Pelosi and Reid insist that the operator retrofit at least one coal boiler by this summer and the second boiler by year's end -- and they are ready to put our money where their mouths are.
''We are also interested in identifying and supporting funding to retrofit CPP if necessary so that it can operate on 100% natural gas,'' they wrote. ''We encourage you to develop realistic budget numbers to accomplish the retrofit expeditiously including any costs for the purchase of additional quantities of natural gas.''
But why now? Could it simply be the Democrats' newly found majority in Congress and a friendly occupant of the White House? Or are Pelosi and Reid seeking to stir up support for a rally set for next Monday at the CPP organized by Capitol Climate Action?
The group is organizing what it calls ''Mass Civil Disobedience' to get Congress' attention on the matter. It appears they already have it.
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