Central and Eastern Kentucky
(2010-02-04)
MOREHEAD, KY (WEKU) - Officials from East Kentucky Power Cooperative spent Wednesday testifying before the state Public Service Commission. The commission must decide if the utility can borrow money for a new coal-fired power plant. Cooperative Spokesman Nick Comer said the question and answer session is routine.
"There will be questions from the commission, questions from the attorney general or any other interveners in the case. So it certainly not unusual at all for the commission to have questions about this process and certainly East Kentucky Power is going to try to answer those as thoroughly as we can," said Comer.
According to Comer, EKPC needs a loan of $900 million to complete construction.
"And certainly material cost changes, labor cost changes, so that estimated cost may go up or go down a little bit more over the next few year as we go through the process of building and permitting the plant," Comer said.
Environmental groups hope to stop the Clark County Plant. They will conduct a public hearing in winchester. Kentucky Environmental Foundation Spokeswoman Elizabeth Crowe said the facility is unhealthy, unaffordable and unnecessary.
"When EKPC first decided that it wanted to build this facility it did so assuming it was going to have quite a large surge in demand from another power co-op joining the EKPC family, but that never happened. So what we have seen in the last little while is their demand protections are actually coming in lower than what they participated," said Crowe.
Crowe claims the plant would emit harmful pollutants, like sulfur dioxide. The East Kentucky Power Cooperative hopes to have the new plant operating within four years.
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