by Marcus E. Howard
mhoward@mdjonline.com
August 27, 2009 01:00 AM | 870 views | 10
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By Marcus E. Howard
mhoward@mdjonline.com
MARIETTA - Development of a $2.1 billion coal-fired power plant near Sandersville in middle Georgia that would supply energy for Cobb EMC and other Georgia EMCs in a consortium, is moving forward after draft permits were granted by the state Environmental Protection Division.
On Tuesday, Cobb EMC received notice from the EMC consortium, Power4Georgians LLC, that the EPD has issued four primary permits for surface water withdrawal, groundwater withdrawal, water discharge and an air permit.
Power4Georgians filed the permit applications with the state EPD in January 2008. The next step will be for it to get the permits.
The surface water draft permit allows the plant to withdraw up to 16 million gallons of water per day out of the Oconee River. The ground water draft permit allows it to drill 15 wells. The draft air permit allows a limited amount of emissions and specifies exactly what can be emitted from the plant in the process of generating electricity.
Cobb EMC is joining five other Georgia EMCs to build the energy facility. The plant would be the first power generator owned by the six EMCs, which now purchase their energy from wholesalers, and would allow them to own and operate their own plant and sell energy to themselves.
Cobb EMC CEO and President Dwight Brown said the construction of Plant Washington will benefit Cobb EMC's 190,000 customers in Cobb and Cherokee and parts of Bartow, Fulton and Paulding counties.
"We became involved in Power4Georgians to ensure that Cobb EMC could continue to provide a dependable supply of power to our members at an affordable cost," Brown said in a statement. "Plant Washington will be good for our members, good for our co-op and good for our state. Receiving the draft permits from the EPD shows that we are continuing to make progress to meet the needs of our members now and for many decades to come."
The proposed 850-megawatt Plant Washington sits on 1,600 acres near Sandersville, the county seat of Washington County. No construction work has begun. It is expected to be operational by 2016 or 2017.
Power4Georgians said the plant will be one of the cleanest coal-fired power plants in the country, generating enough electricity to meet the annual needs of 500,000 to 700,000 homes in Georgia.
"While we recognize there is a lot of work remaining to be done, the draft permits are a very positive indication that Plant Washington is moving forward," said Power4Georgians spokesman Dan Alford.
However, not everyone thinks that building the coal-fired plant is a good idea.
Georgia chapter members of the Sierra Club environmental group say the coal plant will have a hazardous impact on the state's water and air quality, and will also contribute to global warming by increasing carbon dioxide emissions. The Sierra Club, along with Friends of the Chattahoochee, has already filed a lawsuit against the proposed $2 billion Longleaf Energy plant in Early County in southwest Georgia. The state Supreme Court is deciding whether to hear the case.
"Coal is outdated and antiquated," said Erin Glynn, a conservation organizer for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign.
Glynn noted that four other EMCs of the Power4Georgians consortium have opted out of building Plant Washington, reducing total membership from 10 to six EMCs (Cobb EMC, Snapping Shoals EMC, Pataula EMC, Central Georgia EMC, Upson EMC and Washington EMC). She said that means Cobb customers would therefore have to bear more of the cost of utilities.
"We have a choice of stepping 100 years in the past or stepping in the future of a clean energy Georgia," Glynn said.
The cost Im sure plays a part of what is being built by most now are built with using one of 3 options and not just coal.
Im sure that Brown and the courts have it all worked out, lol....
Energy and EMC are all one now, but the Energy side is treated like step kids and not given the same benefits as EMC employees. And they all work in the same buildings. The only cut backs went against the ProCore side which made them even lesser to the same EMC employee....
So I figure this power plant is just another cash cow for Brown and believe it or not the courts will support and reward him as they did in the past....
These guys are desperate to get their permit in place before carbon fees go into effect. They figure to receive carbon credits to sell without producing any energy. They also plan to score big with big landowners to pay for carbon offsets for growing timber. Timber they already have for profit and tax breaks.
The Power4Georgians plan is morally bankrupt. It will lead to costly increases for us EMC members while destroying our environment. There are better solutions.
The membership certainly deserves a say in what is likely to be the most expensive and controversial decision the co-op will ever undertake.
Given a choice, would the members choose to increase energy efficiency 1 or 2% a year across the membership to match any projected increase in energy demand; or would they choose to invest upwards of $2.1 billion of co-op money in a coal plant?
Dwight Brown and the current board seem perfectly content to usurp the democratic process to push this thing through. Dwight Brown and company will profit from the deal, Cobb EMC members will pay for the plant, Georgians will bear the pollution, and the excess energy (which projections say we won't even need) will undoubtedly be sold off to other states.
It is despicable that they can continue to fleece the membership in plain sight and no one is willing to do anything about it.