This is the third day of the Iowa Utilities Board’s public hearing in Marshalltown on Interstate Power and Light’s proposed coal-fired power station. Starting today, the coalition of citizen environmental groups and the state’s consumer advocate will call several of the eleven witnesses.

Among those witnesses will be Dr. Neil Harl, an economist, and Dr. James A. Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute of Space Studies. Hansen is expected to testify on Thursday about global warming issues. Harl is expected to testify on potential demand for electrical power from bio-fuel industries in Iowa.

Tuesday’s testimony by Alliant witnesses focused on rebutting claims of environmental concerns about air and water pollution and the ability to incorporate newer technology into the generation system of Interstate Power. Alliant has several witnesses remaining to testify. That may cause the hearing to continue into next week.