Giant new plant shows coal power isn't going away

McClatchy DC ^ | 3/1/2012 | Renee Schoof

[blueplum]

WASHINGTON — The Prairie State power plant, set amid farm fields and woods in southwestern Illinois, will start producing power soon, beginning a life of burning local coal that's expected to last until at least the 2040s.

Prairie State is the largest coal-fired power plant built in the United States in the last 30 years.

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What sets Prairie State apart from most other U.S. power plants is that it sits next to its own coal mine. The company figures it has enough coal to run the plant for 30 years, providing electricity for 2.5 million households.

Peabody Energy, the world's largest private coal company, financed the plant, creating a customer for its Illinois coal.

"That's part of the genius. Our owners already own their fuel," spokeswoman Ashlie Kuehn said. "We're not subject to the market volatility of coal, or the transportation costs of bringing that in."

Peabody later sold 95 percent of the project to eight Midwestern public power agencies.

The nearly $5 billion cost included $1 billion in pollution controls

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/03/01/140544/giant-new-plant-shows-coal-power.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy

[Western Phil]

Lively Grove, Illinois about half way between Carbondale & St. Louis.

[blueplum]

yup! real jobs!