Georgia Power to propose coal plant
August 7, 2007 at 9:29 am by Scott Henry in NewsA new coal-fired power plant hasn’t been built in the Peach State in decades; for the past few years, natural gas has been the energy source of choice. And now, with millions of dollars in federal incentives available, it appears nuclear energy is on the ascendancy. Georgia Power this year submitted early paperwork to expand its Plant Vogtle nuke facility.
But don’t count out the black stuff yet. Even as it’s crunching the numbers for Vogtle, our hometown energy monopoly is planning to put in a bid for a new coal plant. If coal turns out to be significantly less costly for Georgia consumers than nuclear, then coal it will be!
Georgia Power spokeswoman Carol Boatright says the company hasn’t settled on the type of plant it will propose. The options are to use new “clean coal†technology that reduces sulfur and carbon discharges — or to build a traditional, old-fashioned “pulverized coal†plant with some pollution controls.
The proposal will be delivered to the Georgia Public Service Commission, the entity responsible for regulating utilities, by Nov. 1, Boatright says.
Sierra Club lobbyist Neill Herring says he’s not surprised by the news that Georgia Power is considering another coal plant, given the company’s long history of burning the stuff. Its Plant Scherer near Macon is one of the biggest coal plants in the United States and has often been cited as the country’s single largest source for carbon dioxide emissions — the gas blamed for global warming.
If coal is selected over nuclear, then Georgia Power should be made to take advantage of the latest coal-gasification technology that screens out pollutants, says Sara Barczak, safe energy director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
In fact, the utility would be required to adhere to current clean-air standards in any plant it builds, says PSC Chairman Bobby Baker, who adds that it’s a sensible business move for Georgia Power to cover its bases by submitting competing proposals to meet the state’s future energy needs.
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