Our municipal electriccompany and our City Council are about to make a big mistake that could eventually raise our electric bills,undermine Public Power's finances, and put millions of tons of carbon dioxideand other pollution into the air for the next fifty years. Here's the big mistake:  City Council is about to gamble thefuture of Cleveland Public Power on a fifty-year, “take-or-pay” contract for abig share of a new $3 billion coal power plant in southern Ohio. Last November City Councilvoted to authorize Public Power to sign a contract with American MunicipalPower Ohio (AMP) that obligates CPP's customers  to buy the biggest share of power from this outmoded plantin Meigs County, no matter how expensive that power turns out to be, and nomatter what cheaper, cleaner sources become available.  In fact, we'll have to keep paying forthe plant even if it never produces any power at all. This unlimited “take or pay” obligation won't enduntil the year 2057.  Council's Public UtilitiesCouncil is set to reconsider this issue on Friday, February 22. Here’s the listof members of the committee:Ward 3: Zachary Reed, ward03@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-4945Ward 5: Phyllis Cleveland, ward05@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-2309Ward 11: Michael D. Polensek, ward11@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-4236Ward 14: Joe Santiago, ward14@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-3706Ward 15: Brian J. Cummins, ward15@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-4238Ward 16: Kevin J. Kelley, ward16@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-2943 Ward 17: Matt Zone, ward17@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-4235 (Chair)    Ward 18: Jay Westbrook, ward18@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-4230Ward 20: Martin J. Sweeney, ward20@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-2942Ward 21: Martin J. Keane, ward21@clevelandcitycouncil.org,664-4239The mailing address is City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave E # 220, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Call your Councilmember and ask him or her to voteAGAINST gamblingCleveland Public Power's future on AMP's risky coalplant. Cleveland has not shoppedfor alternatives.   AMP-Ohio is telling itsmember municipalities that this new coal plant is the only reasonable optionfor future power supplies. That is not true. The wholesale power market hasmany players, and new energy technologies are emerging rapidly.  Cleveland should take its time and shop for other power sources before locking itsresidents and businesses into an old technology for fifty years. The projected cost of AMP's$3 coal plant has been rising $2 million a day for the past two years.  It is an expensive mistake forCleveland's ratepayers, our economy and our environment... a mistake we'll bestuck with for the next fifty years. Cleveland can gaet out of this deal with no penalty. Let's not make thatmistake.  Tell Council you wantCPP out of the AMP coalplant before it's too late. This flyer was printed by Ohio Citizen Action, which has 80,000dues-paying members statewide. The organization has long supported municipalelectric systems, going back to 1979 when we helped save Cleveland Public Powerfrom a takeover by the utility now called FirstEnergy. For more information,visit http://www.ohiocitizen.org andclick on “Proposed AMP-Ohio coal plant.”