Opponents and defenders of a planned Wise County power plant squared off today in Richmond Circuit Court. The Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents several environmental groups, argued that the state Air Pollution Control Board erred in issuing two permits for the coal-burning plant in 2008. The center contends, among other things, that the permits do not adequately control carbon dioxide and mercury.

Electricity customers would save money and thousands of new jobs would be generated if power companies spent more on energy efficiency, a study says.