Obama Spending Federal Money That Was Already Spent And Calling It “Stimulus”
In the Bismarck Tribune today they’re reporting that one of North Dakota’s largest coal companies, Basin Electric, is getting some federal “stimulus” money (no doubt aimed at “saving or creating” jobs) to pursue clean coal technology:
The Energy Department says Basin Electric Power Cooperative will get up to $100 million in federal stimulus money to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at a coal-fired power plant northwest of Bismarck.
Federal Energy Secretary Steven Chu calls it a big step in the fight to reduce emissions from coal-based power plants.
Officials say Basin plans to use ammonia-based technology to capture carbon dioxide at its Antelope Valley Station near Beulah.
There’s a problem. According to a news release put out by Basin Electric in January of this year, well before the “stimulus” bill had been passed or even finalized (the day after Obama had been inaugurated, in fact), they had already applied for $100 million from the federal government to pursue clean coal technology at this same power plant through an existing Department of Energy program.
And, as usual, our lazy North Dakota media just re-prints the press releases they’re sent without bothering to look a little deeper into the situation.
Anyway, it appears as though Obama’s “stimulus” spending (at least in this instance, and I’m willing to be a lot of other instances too) is little more than spending that was already going to happen re-purposed so that Obama could take credit for it.
No wonder it isn’t working. Not that government spending can result in net economic growth to begin with.
