EKPC Proposed Coal Burning Plant

Thursday, Feb 04, 2010

A proposed coal burning power plant in Clark County is at the center of an emotional debate among people for and against the project. 
 
“For a lot of the pollution that comes out of a power plant there’s no such thing as a safe level,” Kentucky Environmental Foundation Executive Director, Elizabeth Crowe said. 

East Kentucky Power Cooperative is proposing to build a new coal-burning power plant in Clark County to meet their member needs which a spokesman for the company says is growing.

“Right now East Kentucky Power is a couple hundred mega-watts behind in our power plants capacity to serve our members,” spokesman, Nick Comer, said. 

Comer says another plant like this one would allow them to serve their growing member base in the most cost affective way.

“We don’t have a motive of maximizing profits for shareholders. Our roll is to generate power as affordably and reliably as we can for our members.” 

The Kentucky Environmental Foundation believes building another power plant will be more costly for members in the long run.

“The cost of this proposed power plant just went up recently from $766 million a few months ago to over $800 million recently. It’s a myth that coal is cheap,” KEF Executive Director, Elizabeth Crowe said. 

In addition, Crowe says the plant will be harmful to the environment.

“Power plants actually emit hundreds of tons of pollutants in the air every year, which can help cause cardiovascular and heart diseases.”

A public hearing to comment on the proposed plant’s air permit is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Clark County Cooperative Extension Office.