Laura Miller v. TXU: The Price of Emission

Things be gettin' uh-guh-lee in the legal battle over TXU's proposed new 11 coal-fired power plants that will, in all probability, choke us to death. Today the Texas Clean Air Cities Coalition (or the TCACC), fronted by Mayor Laura Miller, is going to try to force TXU -- and, specifically, TXU Wholesale chairman and CEO Mike McCall -- to talk about precisely how much CO2 those plants will generate.

In documents filed with the State Office of Administrative Hearings down in Austin, the TCACC is demanding McCall and TXU respond to questions concerning: "carbon dioxide emissions from the proposed coal-burning power units; the effects of these emissions; the economic calculations that TXU has made in relation to these emissions, including its evaluation of the likely effects of future CO2 regulation; and the costs that may be imposed on the public as a result of these emissions." The doc says that during his deposition, McCall's attorney stopped a line of questioning concerning CO2 emissions and "refused to allow Mr. McCall to answer further questions" on the subject. "Indeed," says the brief, "counsel for TXU refused to even permit further questions on this subject to be asked."

In case you have absolutely nothing better to do today, here's the 61-page filing in its entirety. Print it out, take it to lunch and totally impress the person sitting next to you. That's what I'm gonna do. --Robert Wilonsky