Grand Canyon flood; hydropower replaced by coal-fired electricity

There's no question that last week's man-made flood in the Grand Canyon created extensive new sand beaches and was good for the health of the ecosystem, but critics in a story in the Salt Lake Tribune are noting that the associated loss of hydro-generated electricity will be made up by coal-fired electricity at an additional cost of $4 million. There were also questions about diverting water away from the obligation of using it to pay off the cost of building and maintaining the Glen Canyon dam. The additional cost was said to be $10 per home served by Colorado River hydroelectricity.

While the story didn't say so specifically, the reference to more coal generated electricity certainly raised the irony of more CO2 being produced as a result.