STATUS:  Canceled
 
TYPE: Coal

OPPOSITION:  Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club

PROSPECTS:  Unlikely

BACKGROUND:  East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) proposed construction of a 278-megawatt coal-fired power plant located in Clark County, Kentucky.  Construction costs were estimated at approximately $819 million.

In 2006, state regulators granted EKPC a certificate for the plant.  In March 2008, the Sierra Club, Kentucky Environmental Foundation and Center for Biological Diversity sued the federal Rural Utilities Service (RUS) arguing that the RUS failed to properly conduct an environmental assessment of the proposed plant. On November 18, 2010 East Kentucky Power Cooperative canceled plans for the power plant. The coop largely blamed the economy and weak demand for power, but acknowledged that pressure from environmental groups played a role. Under the agreement, the environmental groups have agreed not to challenge the cooperative’s effort to raise rates to recover about $150 million already spent on the plant.  
 
SOURCES: http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2008/kentucky-coal-03-04-2008.html
http://www.ekpc.com
http://www.kftc.org/our-work/stop-smith
http://www.ekpc.coop/pressreleases/2010%20press%20releases/2010-11-18__Sm1_cancelled.pdf
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20101118/NEWS01/311180068/East-Kentucky-Power-cancels-Clark-County-plant

LAST UPDATED: November 22, 2010