More Coal Debate.

Truckee is the latest city in California to find itself on the horns of a "coal dilemma." The Sacramento Bee reports that the Truckee Donner Public Utility District is going to have to make the same decision Pasadena had to make a few weeks ago: renew a long-term contract for electricity from coal-fired plants or get its power elsewhere at a higher rate?

As of August, coal was the top fuel for electricity in the United States, accounting for 48 percent of power generation, according to the Energy Information Administration.

In California, by contrast, natural gas is the top source, providing nearly 38 percent of generation, according to 2005 California Energy Commission statistics. Coal is second, at 20 percent, slightly more than half of which comes from out of state.

A law that takes effect Jan. 1 aims to further reduce California's reliance on coal. That law calls for regulations that would prohibit utilities from committing long-term to buying power derived from plants that emit more heat-trapping greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, than is emitted by plants fueled by natural gas.

Truckee officials are hustling to make the decision before the January 1 law takes effect.

Coal fuels energy debate [Sacramento Bee]