Proposed AMP Ohio Coal Plant -- Ohio Citizen Action

2007 News

Dec 28: Danville will invest in power plants
$500 million over 40-50 years will go to AMP-Ohio projects

DANVILLE, VA -- "A neighboring city already has committed to investing in three American Municipal Power-Ohio power plant projects that Martinsville is considering investing in. Danville will invest about $500 million over 40 to 50 years in the projects, said Joe King, assistant city manager for utilities. With costs for electricity on the wholesale market rising, Danville officials think their city’s future power costs will be 'substantially less' — at least 10 percent — by purchasing power from plants the city invests in, King said. 'This is a permanent commitment as far as we’re concerned,' he said," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

Dec 23: Deadline shift irks Lawson

Councilwoman Kathy Lawson

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "Martinsville City Councilwoman Kathy Lawson said Friday she is 'rather annoyed' that American Municipal Power-Ohio sought the city’s commitment on power plant projects long before it actually was needed. 'They told us the drop-dead date' for a commitment was this month, said Lawson. If the council had known it had until the end of January to commit, it would not have scheduled a public hearing last Thursday and instead would have held the hearing during its next regular meeting Jan. 8, she said. 'I feel like there was a hidden agenda' on AMP-Ohio’s part and as a result, 'I’m definitely more cautious about them' now, Lawson said," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

Dec 21: Power fund vote put off
Local residents opposed plan at hearing

Pam Sullivan, of AMP-Ohio, answers questions at Thursday’s public hearing.

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "Martinsville City Council on Thursday held off a decision on the city’s potential investment of $140 million in electric power plants. The council voted unanimously to table the issue until its Jan. 22 meeting following a motion from Councilwoman Kathy Lawson that was seconded by Vice Mayor James Clark... Jim Clark of Spruce Street said future government regulations could affect the projects, 'increasing the cost or shutting them down completely.' Referring to the coal-fired plants, he said, 'ultimately the city could be left holding a bag containing a $140 million debt and a lot of soot,'" Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

Dec 20: Power projects opposed

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "Martinsville officials said Tuesday they have not heard any support for the city investing $3.5 million a year for 40 years to invest in three power plant projects. Four city council members said no city residents with whom they have discussed the issue has voiced support for the investment. City Manager Clarence Monday estimated that about 50 people have stopped him on the street or called him in recent weeks to voice their opinions on the issue. He said on a recent day off from work, people stopped him several times. 'The community is interested' in the issue, he said. But 'I haven’t spoken to the first person yet who was in favor of' investing in the plants," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

Dec 19: City still would need more power

Clarence Monday, Martinsville City Manager

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "Bowles and City Manager Clarence Monday said Tuesday the total $140 million that Martinsville is considering investing includes the cost of buying electricity generated at the plants as well as the construction debt. A city release issued Dec. 7 stated that the city 'would obligate itself to approximately $3.5 million in annual debt (for 40 years) beginning in 2013 when the projects start producing power.' Bowles and Monday agree that is the case because the city would obligate itself not only to help pay for construction of the plants, but also to buy electricity produced at the facilities. AMP-Ohio 'wants a commitment that we’re going to buy the power we say we’re going to buy,' Monday said. Because the 'agreement is to purchase the power for 40 years ... you can call it a debt,' said Bowles," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

Dec 17: City faces power decision
AMP-Ohio: Cities mean lower costs

Construction has begun on the Prairie State project in Lively Grove, Illinois.

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "American Municipal Power-Ohio maintains that by Martinsville and other member cities participating in the cost of building new power plants, the costs will be lower. AMP-Ohio would own two plants that Martinsville is considering taking part in and be part-owner of another. However, since AMP-Ohio is owned by its members, those cities would be part-owners of each of the three plants, said Kent Carson, AMP-Ohio’s director of communications," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin. Published December 16.

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- Why one city said no to plan, At least one AMP-Ohio member city — Westerville, Ohio — has declined to participate in building new power plant projects, Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin. Published December 16.

Dec 11: Officials pledge caution
City won't rush into power investment, Monday says

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "Martinsville officials on Monday pledged they will take public opinion into consideration and think long and hard before investing a huge amount of money into the construction of power plants. 'We’re trying to flood the public' with relevant information so people can form opinions, City Manager Clarence Monday said during a Martinsville City Council neighborhood meeting at the Blue Ridge Regional Library branch on East Church Street... American Municipal Power-Ohio, an agent through which the city’s electric utility buys wholesale power distributed to residents and businesses, wants Martinsville to invest in three power plant projects," Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin.

HILLSDALE, MI -- BPU looks to Ohio for new power, Yet-to-be-built plant would provide adequate supply. Added cost won’t be passed on to customers, Mickey Powell, Hillsdale Daily News.

Dec 10: Is a 40 year marriage to AMP-Ohio right for Martinsville?

Westerville’s city council recently voted to reject a similar proposal by AMP-Ohio citing numerous concerns over the deal.

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- "It should be of concern to the residents of Martinsville, Virginia that our city council is considering entering into a 'marriage' of sorts with AMP (American Municipal Power) Ohio. We are well aware of the significant cost that can be quickly amounted in making such considerations. Residents should expect their city council to investigate the matter in its’ entirety on its own before jumping into this idea 'full steam ahead' and in doing so amassing an army of consultants, feasibility studies, and lawyers," Josh Stegall, GoMartinsville.com. Published December 9.

MARTINSVILLE, VA -- Power plant funds weighed, City may invest $3.5 million a year for 40 years, Mickey Powell, Martinsville Bulletin. Published December 9.

Dec 6: Judge grants citizens' right to be heard in AMP-Ohio coal plant case

COLUMBUS -- "Administrative Law Judge Gregory Price ruled on December 4th that citizens groups have a right to be heard in the Ohio Power Siting Board's deliberations on the proposed AMP-Ohio coal-fired power plant in Meigs County. AMP had attempted to prevent the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Ohio Environmental Council, and local resident Elisa Young from participating in the proceeding. The judge also ruled that the Power Siting Board should consider the impact of the plant on global warming, carbon dioxide emissions, and costs, overriding AMP-Ohio's claims that these issues were not relevant because they were national in scope and because the Ohio legislature had declared a policy to increase coal use. Hearings on the case begin on Monday, December 10th," Sandy Buchanan, Ohio Citizen Action. 241 KB pdf.
Case docket

Dec 4: Two groups oppose utility
Environmentalists ask EPA to reject or revise coal-fired plant's permit

AKRON -- "Two environmental groups are calling on the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to reject or revise a preliminary permit for a new coal-burning power plant in southern Ohio. The Ohio Environmental Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council on Monday came out strongly against the proposed $2.5 billion American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio) plant in Meigs County, calling the plans flawed... On Friday, the two groups, along with Ohio Citizen Action and the Sierra Club, filed paperwork urging the Ohio EPA to reject its preliminary air permit for the plant," Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal.

CLEVELAND -- The price of power, A plan for Cleveland to sign a 50-year energy contract with a new southern Ohio coal-fueled power plant has come under fire from local and national environmental groups, David Barnett, WCPN.

LETART FALLS -- Groups organizing opposition to plant, Richard Heck, Athens Messenger.

Comments on the draft air permit to install for the proposed AMP-Ohio generating station, National Resources Defense Council, Ohio Citizen Action, Ohio Environmental Council and the Sierra Club. 1,224 KB pdf.

Nov 30: Mayor Frank Jackson wants increase in advanced, renewable energy sources for Cleveland
Seeks increase in advanced, renewable energy sources

Cleveland city council public utilities committee

Cleveland City Council is considering a 50-year contract with AMP-Ohio's proposed new coal-fired power plant.

CLEVELAND -- "But the proposal prompted some concerns about higher prices for Cleveland Public Power customers. Several council members, who also are considering a 50-year contract with a new coal-fired power plant, stressed the importance of keeping prices stable.... Public Power Commissioner Ivan Henderson said the city-owned utility plans to mix the new advanced and renewable technologies with existing -- and, in many cases, cheaper -- sources such as coal. 'Coal is going to be the foundation that keeps our prices low,' Henderson said. Henderson expects the two likely alternative-energy front-runners will be wind turbines and a hydroelectric project on the Ohio River. Another option is landfill gas from municipal dumps. Officials believe these to be relatively affordable possibilities when blended with coal," Henry J Gomez, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas -- Kansas rejection of coal plant fires up backlash, Carey Gillam, Rueters.

Nov 29: Testimony against AMP-Ohio coal plant

Elisa Young's family in front of the original homestead. Her grandpa is the littlest one in the dress.

MEIGS COUNTY -- "My name is Elisa Young, and I am a seventh generation Appalachian from Meigs County Ohio. The farm that I call home is land that we received some time ago from the United States government in return for military service in the Revolutionary War. It's a heritage that has been a great source of strength and pride for me. Our land is also closer than I care to think about to where AMP is planning to build another pulverized coal-fired power plant... Our community has born the brunt of every piece of best available 'clean' coal experiment that has come down the pipes. Each technology has created different problems," Elisa Young, Racine, Ohio resident. 618 KB pdf.
More photos

Nov 28: The dirty secret of 'clean coal'

A highly destructive form of coal mining called mountaintop removal has devasted more than one million acres in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains.

MEIGS COUNTY -- "The proposed American Municipal Power of Ohio plant is one example that is driving the interest in new coal mining. Gatling Ohio LLC is buying up land and mineral rights in Meigs County. It is seeking state permits to mine 1,895 underground acres near Racine, Ohio. The mine is expected to operate for 40 years. A look at Ohio's 200-year history os coal mining show that the damage lasts much longer. There are only two ways to get coal. With surface mining, the soil and rock above or around the coal (overburden) is removed to expose the coalbed... Further south in the Appalachians, there is an even worse form of surface mining. Mountaintop removal mining is exactly what it sounds like - tops of mountains are blasted off and the overburden dumped into adjacent valleys," Mary Beth Lohse, EarthWatch Ohio.

ALBANY -- Coal train derails in Athens County, Associated Press, Columbus Dispatch.

Nov 15: City considers joint effort to address power needs

coal plants on the Ohio River

DANVILLE, VA -- "In a plan presented to City Council during a work session Nov. 8 and that council will discuss again Tuesday, the city would team with AMP-Ohio and 122 other member cities in a cooperative partnership to build, operate and use the electricity generated from three different projects. Danville currently only generates 5 percent of its own power from Pinnacles Hydroelectric Plant and wants to increase that amount to 50 percent through the proposed projects. AMP-Ohio recommends building two coal-fired plants and hydroelectric plants at three existing Ohio River lock and dam sites," Denice Thibodeau, Danville Register Bee.

Nov 5: Residents speak out about proposed coal-fired facility

POMEROY -- "Community members for and against a proposed coal-fired power plant in Meigs County gave sworn testimony Thursday at a public hearing of the Ohio Power Siting Board held at Meigs High School.... 'I believe that what we’re confronting here is a false choice between jobs for 100 to 150 people versus the environment and health of all residents of Southeast Ohio and future generations,' said Catherine Cutcher of Rutland, adding that the proposal was like 'dangling a poison carrot in front of a starving rabbit,'" Becca Bonthius, Athens Messenger. Published November 2, 2007.

Oct 30: City OKs electric contract

Cleveland City Hall

CLEVELAND -- "Cleveland City Council voted Monday night to contract with American Municipal Power-Ohio to buy electricity for the next 50 years. AMP-Ohio is a wholesale power supplier to local public utilities. Cleveland Public Power would buy electricity from AMP-Ohio's proposed $2.5 billion power plant, which would be built on the Ohio River in Meigs County. Council members expect to receive a final analysis on the deal, including projected costs, within the next four months. The city can opt out of the contract, with no penalty, if it opposes the final plan," Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Oct 29: Springs power plant decision postponed; villagers question the length of the contract with AMP-Ohio and the use of coal to fuel the plant

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "AMP-Ohio, a whole-sale power supplier, wanted council members to approve by Nov. 1 a 50-year commitment to purchase power from the 1,000-megawatt plant expected to be completed in 2013. A decision was expected last week, but after villagers' continued concerns over the length of the contract and the use of coal to generate electricity, the council voted to table the matter until spring," Christopher Magan, Dayton Daily News. Published October 26.

TOLEDO -- Bowling Green's green dilemma, "Coal-fired power plants produce carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. But wind power and other forms of alternative energy aren't yet available in sufficient quantities to meet the city's needs. That's the main reason the city has an agreement to buy power from a proposed coal-fired power plant in southeast Ohio," editorial, Toledo Blade.

Oct 27: Cleveland Public Power still needs coal
Practicality demands that Cleveland Public Power grab the chance at an interest in new AMP-Ohio plant

Cleveland Public Power building

CLEVELAND -- "It may be a brave new world for renewable energy sources, but coal remains king in America. Cleveland Public Power would not be doing right by its customers and the city if it jettisoned coal altogether and failed to line up enough power to meet the long-term base needs of current customers. That's why environmentalists trying to scuttle CPP's 100-megawatt share of a proposed coal-fired power plant in southern Ohio should turn their attention elsewhere," editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS -- Proposed coal plant would control pollution, costs, Mark Gerken, President and CEO of AMP-Ohio, letter to the editor, Columbus Dispatch.

Oct 26: Power plant debate

CHARLESTON, WV -- "A jobs-versus-environment debate is taking place in Meigs County, Ohio. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency held a public hearing Thursday night on a coal-fired power plant proposed by American Municipal Power-Ohio... On the pro-plant side is the president of the Meigs County Chamber of Commerce. Howard Kneen pointed out that Meigs has the highest unemployment rate in the state. He says the possibility of new jobs and AMP-Ohio's plan to use 'greener technologies' to keep-down pollution, make the project a good one. But Mary Beth Lohse of the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra club disagrees. She says these 'greener technologies' are not good enough and it's time to look at alternative energy sources," Phil Weber, WSAZ.

Oct 25: Testimony on the proposed AMP Ohio generating station

Sandy Buchanan

CLEVELAND -- "We urge you not to take any precipitous action before you have all the information you need. AMP-Ohio is asking the City of Cleveland not just to buy power from a new coal plant, but to buy the coal plant itself. Cleveland would own shares in the plant, and would be stuck with whatever the plant ends up costing. The price of the shares is not fixed, but would change with the costs of building and running the coal plant. Cleveland would be the single largest municipal owner of this facility, and would even be responsible for a portion of the costs of other municipalities if they default on their shares. In fact, this deal is eerily similar to another financial instrument with which Clevelanders have become all too familiar: the variable rate mortgage. As you know, these mortgages stick the homeowners with rapidly escalating costs over which they have no control," testimony of Sandy Buchanan, Ohio Citizen Action, to Cleveland City Council. 39 k doc.

Consulting Engineer's Report for the American Municipal Power Generating Station, prepared for City of Cleveland by Burns and Roe Enterprises, October 16, 2007. (216 k pdf)

WASHINGTON -- Pace of coal-power boom slackens, Rising construction costs and potential climate legislation in Congress halt at least 18 proposed power plants in the past nine months, Mark Clayton, Christian Science Monitor.

ATHENS -- Ohio EPA to hold hearing on proposed new power plant, Callie Lyons, The Athens News.

Oct 24: Westerville out of power-plant agreement
Council concerned about coal's future

Westerville Councilman Craig Treneff.

WESTERVILLE -- "The proposal from American Municipal Power of Ohio would have locked the city into a 50-year contract with the utility to fund a new power plant, in return for rights on the power it produces. The plant, expected to begin operating in 2013, would have provided about 40 percent of Westerville's nonpeak electricity. But the deal would have required the city to make monthly payments, regardless of how much, if any, energy the plant produced. 'I think it's a very wise decision. It's an extremely risky plant that could cause a lot of public health and environmental damage,' said Sandy Buchanan, executive director of Ohio Citizen Action, after the vote," Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch.

KENT -- Pros and Cons of New Coal Plant , Karen Schaefer, WKSU.

CLEVELAND -- New Ohio coal-fired power plant meets with opposition, Cleveland Public Power could be affected by power plant's fate, John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Oct 23: Cleveland council to consider new AMP-Ohio coal-fired power plant

CLEVELAND -- "The first of several hearings that will determine whether the first coal-fired power plant proposed for Ohio in 20 years will be built begins Wednesday before the Public Utilities Committee of Cleveland City Council. American Municipal Power-Ohio, wants to build a 1,000-megawatt power plant in Meigs County at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion. The facility would be on a 1,000-acre parcel near the Ohio River. AMP-Ohio serves more than 100 municipal systems, including Cleveland, Oberlin, Painesville, Hudson and Cuyahoga Falls," John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer.

YELLOW SPRINGS -- Vote on coal plant power postponed, Diane Chiddister, Yellow Springs News. Published October 18.

Oct 21: Bowling Green looks to coal power despite 'green' practices
City eyes investment in SE Ohio project

conceptual coal plant

BOWLING GREEN -- "So what happened Oct. 1 when push came to shove - when Bowling Green City Council felt the city needed to lock itself into a long-term contract for its largest source of power - rather than wait until Dec. 31, 2008, when a 20-year agreement Bowling Green and 13 other communities have with FirstEnergy Corp is set to expire? It aligned itself with coal. Bowling Green is one of 75 Ohio cities and villages considering major investments in a coal-fired power plant that has been proposed in southeast Ohio, along the Ohio River in Meigs County's Letart Township. The plant would be finished in 2013 if the project stays on schedule," Tom Henry, Toledo Blade.

Oct 19: Alternative to coal-fired power

WASHINGTON, DC -- "But the fundamental point is that filthy, 19th-century coal plants don't make sense in the face of 21st-century energy solutions such as efficiency, renewables, natural gas combined cycle and biomass. Last week, the director of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel testified to a state Senate committee that energy efficiency costs 1.3 cents to 3.2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) and wind costs 4.9 cents per kWh. AMP-Ohio has estimated that power from its coal plant would cost 6.1 cents per kWh in 2014 and 7.5 cents in 2020, without adequately allowing for the additional and inevitable costs of future carbon dioxide emission regulations," Shannon Fisk, letter to the editor, Akron Beacon Journal.

TOPEKA, KS -- Proposed coal plant in western Kansas is rejected, David Klepper and Karen Dillon, The Kansas City Star.

HUDSON -- Council considers alternatives to coal generated electricity, Laura Freeman, Hudson Hub Times.

Oct 18: Hearings on the AMP coal-fired plant: What, When and Where

public hearing dates

ATHENS -- "There are two hearings, one by Ohio EPA on the draft air permit, the second by the Ohio Power Siting Board. It is important to get good attendance at both these hearings. Public officials need to know that local residents don’t want this plant. If you can’t attend the OEPA public hearing, send written comments by November 30: Dean Ponchak, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Southeast District Office, 2196 Front Street, Logan, Ohio, 43138. The air permit can be viewed online," Marybeth Lohs. 52 k doc.

Oct 16: Yellow Springs votes not to sign AMP contract now

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "The Village Council of Yellow Springs voted last night 4 to 1 to delay action on signing a proposed contract with AMP-Ohio to become part-owners of a proposed new coal-fired power plant in Meigs County. Village residents, from students to senior citizens, packed the council meeting room to voice their opposition to the coal plant. The council plans to hold a public forum before the end of February to discuss alternatives to the plant and to examine the environmental and financial questions involved," Ellis Jacobs, Board of Directors, Ohio Citizen Action.

Oct 15: What's a little smoke?
New power plant would mean tons of pollution, but Meigs County needs jobs

Farmer Robert Morris' view from his barn might soon change because of a proposed coal plant near Letart Falls, Ohio.

LETART FALLS -- "'You're going to continue to burden people, in an area that's already polluted, with more and more pollution,' said Sandy Buchanan, director of Ohio Citizen Action. The advocacy group is among those trying to persuade Ohio cities not to sign long-term contracts to take power from the plant. Buchanan and other groups favor a different type of power plant that turns coal into a gas that's then burned to make electricity. The process is supposed to strip away pollutants and keep them out of the air," Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.

Letter to AMP-Ohio communities officials, Sandy Buchanan, Executive Director, Ohio Citizen Action. 21 KB pdf.

Oct 14: Best available
What's wrong with AMP-Ohio wanting to build the cleanest coal-fired power plant in the state? Practically nothing

AKRON -- "If anything, AMP-Ohio deserves credit for embracing a cutting-edge technology, and one with a track record longer than the IGCC alternative. Environmental groups correctly note that the plant annually will generate roughly 7.3 million tons of carbon dioxide, the primary culprit in global warming. Unfortunately, there isn't yet a technology capable of reducing such emissions. The good thing is, the AMP-Ohio plant will be designed to accommodate such an advance when it arrives. The Clean Air Act calls for power plants to implement the best available technology for curbing harmful emissions. Too often, power companies have ducked and dodged in meeting the requirement. By comparison, AMP-Ohio has stepped up in a big way," editorial, Akron Beacon Journal.

Oct 12: Step back on coal-fired plant

Yellow Springs masthead

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "Some things we don’t know for sure. We don’t know if signing on to the plant would save the Village money or cost more in the long run. We don’t know if 'clean,' coal, now mainly a concept, will ever become an economically-feasible reality. But we know these things: that coal-fired plants are, in this country, the single greatest contributor of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. We know that carbon dioxide causes global warming and that global warming threatens our planet. And we know that what we do matters. Once there was a time when we thought what we did didn’t matter. We were only one person, or one company, or one little town. But those days are gone," Diane Chiddister, Yellow Springs News.

Oct 11:Westerville's power debate
City may pay for plant in effort to keep rates down chart

WESTERVILLE -- "AMPOhio is a nonprofit wholesale power supplier and service provider for 122 member communities, including Westerville, in five states. The company wants its member communities to invest in a power plant to be built on 1,600 acres along the Ohio River. To make the deal work, AMPOhio says it needs investments in about 750 megawatts of the plant's 1,000-megawatt capacity. Westerville is interested in 25 megawatts, or 2.5 percent of the plant's output. Risk is inevitable in any project, AMPOhio officials said. 'You build a house, you own the house. If the roof collapses six months after you move in, you still own the house,' said Kent Carson, AMPOhio spokesman. But 50 years is two decades longer than most home mortgages, say those who have concerns," Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch.

Oct 10: Environmental group speaks out against coal-burning plant
National council attempts to sway local communities from investing in American Municipal Power of Ohio

AKRON -- "A national environmental group is on the warpath against a new coal-burning power plant in southern Ohio, but Akron-area communities, including Cuyahoga Falls and Wadsworth, that are investing in the $2.5 billion project are not swayed. The Natural Resources Defense Council is raising questions about American Municipal Power of Ohio (AMP-Ohio) and its plans to build a power plant that would burn pulverized coal near Racine in Meigs County. 'We have serious concerns about the plant's economic and environmental impacts,' said Shannon Fisk of the NRDC's Chicago office. 'We're urging communities to say no and explore better alternatives,'" Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal.

Oct 8: Council nods to coal plant

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "At a special meeting last Thursday, Sept. 27, Council heard a two-hour presentation from AMP-Ohio on a recommended power portfolio for the Village which included the new coal plant... While AMP representatives would not specify the amount of carbon emissions the new plant is likely to produce, public interest attorney Ellis Jacobs quoted a figure from AMP’s own internal feasibility study on the plant which reported the plant is likely to produce in the neighborhood of 7.3 million tons of CO2 per year," Lauren Heaton, Yellow Springs News. Published October 4, 2007.

Oct 2: Despite pleas, coal-fired power OK’d in Oberlin

OBERLIN -- "Rimbert said he was emotionally torn after hearing an impassioned plea from Elisa Young, who lives near the proposed site in Meigs County in southeastern Ohio. 'We would have nine power plants within a 10-mile radius of where my family has owned a farm for generations,' said Young, whose family got the land from fighting in the Revolutionary War. With tears rolling from her eyes, Young showed Council photos of soot coming out of smokestacks even after scrubbers were placed on existing plants. 'I’m sorry but I’m pretty upset about being dumped on like this because of cheap electricity,' said Young, who said the area had the highest rates in the country for premature deaths," Cindy Leise, Lorain County Chronicle-Telegram.

why we oppose the coal plant

Sep 27: Why we oppose the proposed coal fired power plant

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "You may have read recently about the controversy over American Municipal Power-Ohio's (AMP) effort to get Yellow Springs and 78 other Ohio communities to sign onto its proposal to build a new coal-fired pwer plant in southeast Ohio. AMP is proposing to spend $2.9 billion to build the 960 megawatt coal plant, and is asking its member communities to assume the financial responsibility for those costs. In addition, AMP is trying to get communities to lock themselves into purchasing power from the plant for 50 years," Natural Resources Defense Council, Ohio Citizen Action, Ohio Environmental Council, and Greene Environmental Coalition.

Sep 24: Plant not worth cost of air fix, group says

Coal plant pollution graphic

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "There are 27 coal-burning power plants statewide.Ohio already leads the nation in air pollution. Coal-fired power plants, chemical companies, steelmakers and other businesses spewed more than 126 million pounds of toxic chemicals and compounds in 2005. American Municipal Power's plans come when the Ohio EPA wants the state's top 100 toxic polluters to voluntarily reduce emissions. Some advocates think the state should require deeper cuts. The plant's permit does nothing to limit carbon dioxide, a key ingredient in global warming. Ohio coal-fired power plants release millions of pounds of it every year," Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch.

Sep 21: Take more time on energy issue

NRDC logo YELLOW SPRINGS -- "It’s not every day that one of the most well-respected environmental groups in the country offers to visit Yellow Springs Village Council to discuss an upcoming Council decision. It’s not every day, but it happened on Monday, when Council received a letter from a National Resources Defense Council representative. The representative offered to drive from Chicago to present the group’s serious concerns about the proposed AMP-Ohio coal-powered power plant, to which the Village is considering signing on as co-owner. However, the majority of Council seemed unimpressed with this offer. Rather, they chose to go ahead with their pivotal discussion on the AMP-Ohio plant next week with a presentation from only one perspective, that of AMP-Ohio," editorial, Diane Chiddister, Yellow Springs News.

YELLOW SPRINGS -- AMP-Ohio contract deadline heats up Council energy talks, Diane Chiddister, Yellow Springs News.

Sep 20: The coal industry is in big trouble

WASHINGTON, DC -- "Big Coal is in deep trouble and wants Congress to provide a massive federal bailout. Since the beginning of 2006 at least two dozen new coal-fired electric power plants have been canceled, most for environmental reasons. As of May there were only 132 coal plants scheduled for construction nationwide, down from 137 in 2006, and even this number will likely dwindle. A small but effective citizens' movement has managed to box in Big Coal," Peter Montague, Rachel's Democracy & Health News.

Sep 19: Ohio EPA wants top polluters to fix 'dirty state'
Strickland: Tighter standards may be needed if voluntary plan doesn't work

COLUMBUS -- "Ohio has long been among the nation's leading polluters -- a tradition that needs to end, the state's top environmental enforcer said yesterday... The announcement follows the EPA's decision last week to grant a draft permit to a proposed coal-burning power plant in Meigs County. Sandy Buchanan, executive director of Ohio Citizen Action, said the permit doesn't jibe with yesterday's announcement. 'The plant will release literally hundreds of thousands of pounds of pollutants annually,' she said," Kevin Mayhood, Columbus Dispatch.

Sep 17: Meetings tonight in Oberlin and Yellow Springs:
AMP Ohio wants communities to sign on to new coal-fired power power plant

YELLOW SPRINGS -- AMP Ohio is asking municipal utilities across the state to contract with them to build a new coal-fired power plant in Southeast Ohio. The city councils of Oberlin and Yellow Springs are both holding meetings about these proposed contracts this evening. The plant would emit more than 7.3 million tons of carbon dioxide and tens of thousands of tons of other pollutants. An appendix to the proposed contract details the list of the communities where AMP Ohio is seeking financial participation in this plant, Sandy Buchanan, Ohio Citizen Action .

Natural Resources Defense Council's fact sheets on the proposed AMP Ohio coal plant

Economic Fact Sheet (134 k pdf)
Environmental Fact Sheet (127 k pdf)
Trend Against Coal Fact Sheet (126 k pdf)

Sep 13: Ohio EPA issues draft permit for new coal plant in Southeast Ohio

summary of pollutants

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "Ohio EPA has issued a draft permit to AMP Ohio for a proposed new coal-fired plant in Meigs County on the Ohio River. The plant would emit more than 7.3 million tons of carbon dioxide and tens of thousands of tons of other pollutants, and require the minig of at least 2.8 million tons of coal. Ohio EPA will hold an information session and public hearing on October 25, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.at Southern Elementary School in Racine, and will accept public comment until October 31st. (2,255 k pdf )

YELLOW SPRINGS -- Energy options may include coal-generated electricity, Lauren Heaton, Yellow Springs News.

Sep 7: Yellow Springs should not sign contract
AMP Ohio proposes pulverized coal burning plant

AMP Ohio coal plant drawing

Conceptual drawing of the proposed American Municipal Power Generating Station

YELLOW SPRINGS -- "If you are concerned about global warming, you probably know that coal burning power plants are responsible for 40% of the U.S. contribution of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas. A 1000 megawatt plant will, each year of its 60 year life, produce as much carbon dioxide as two million cars. Coal burning plants are so central to our present predicament that all national environmental organizations have made it a top priority to stop the construction of a new generation of these plants. That’s why I was dumbfounded to learn that Yellow Springs was being asked to sign onto a project to build one of these new plants. AMP Ohio, the consortium of municipal utilities which Yellow Springs is a member of, wants to build a 1000 megawatt coal burning plant on the Ohio River," Ellis Jacobs, letter to the editor, Yellow Springs News.

Ellis Jacobs is president of Ohio Citizen Action's board of directors.

Sep 4: Coal rush reverses, Power firms follow; Plans for new plants stalled by growing opposition

Washington Post

WASHINGTON, DC -- "A year after the nation appeared to be in the middle of a coal rush, widening alarm about greenhouse gas emissions has slowed the efforts of electric companies to build coal-fired power plants from hills of eastern Montana to southern Florida.

Recently, proponents of coal-fired power plants acquired a new foe: Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid. In late July, Reid (D-Nev.) sent a letter to the chief executives of four power companies in which he vowed to "use every means at my disposal" to stop their plans to build three coal-fired plants in Nevada. Last month, after a speech in Reno, Reid said he was opposed to new coal-fired plants anywhere. 'There's not a coal-fired plant in America that's clean. They're all dirty,' Reid told reporters after speaking at a conference on renewable energy. He said that the United States should turn to wind, solar and geothermal power in an effort to slow climate change. "Unless we do something quickly about global warming, we're in trouble," he said.

Reid's opposition to coal plants is the latest in a series of new obstacles for power companies seeking to use the fuel to generate electricity. A combination of rising construction costs, state mandates for the use of renewable energy and lawsuits by environmental organizations have forced many utilities to drop or postpone coal projects this summer," Steven Mufson, Washington Post.

Jul 25: Block new wave of power plants

Wall Street Journal logo

LOS ANGELES, CA -- "From coast to coast, plans for a new generation of coal-fired power plants are falling by the wayside as states conclude that conventional coal plants are too dirty to build and the cost of cleaner plants is too high. . .

As recently as May, U.S. power companies had announced intentions to build as many as 150 new generating plants fueled by coal, which currently supplies about half the nation's electricity. One reason for the surge of interest in coal was concern over the higher price of natural gas, which has driven up electricity prices in many places. Coal appeared capable of softening the impact since the U.S. has deep coal reserves and prices are low. But as plans for this fleet of new coal-powered plants move forward, an increasing number are being canceled or development slowed. . .

It's hard to say how many proposed plants will never be built. Some projects suffer public deaths when permits are denied. Many more simply wither away, lost in the multiyear process of obtaining permits, fending off court challenges and garnering financing. In the wake of the fading coal proposals, and others that are expected to follow, Citigroup downgraded the stocks of coal-mining companies last week, noting that 'prophesies of a new wave of coal-fired generation have vaporized,'" Rebecca Smith, Wall Street Journal (no link).

Jul 18: Coal: Missing the window; Downgrading on stubborn stockpiles, hostile politics

NEW YORK, NY -- "Prophesies of a new wave of coal-fired generation have vaporized, while clean coal technologies such as IGCC [Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle] with carbon capture and coal-to-liquids remain a decade away, or more," Citigroup, 507 K pdf.

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Rachael Belz
(513) 221-2100

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