Estill County Energy (ECE) has filed an air permit application with the Kentucky Environment and Energy Cabinet to construct a 110-megawatt power facility in Estill County.
ECE hopes to have approval early in 2009 and to begin construction in the second half of the year.
In addition to making more power available on the energy grid, the plant will help reclaim the waste coal left on the 620-acre site by a previous coal processing facility.
“This facility is positive from every vantage point,” Dell Jaggers, ECE’s project manager, said. “It’s a win for the Estill County area because it will bring well-compensated jobs. It’s a positive for the environment because we are using the best available technology and reclaiming this brownfield. And it’s a plus for consumers who certainly could use a break on escalating electricity rates.”
The ECE design includes a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) combustion facility because it will burn waste coal most efficiently and completely. The facility also will safeguard the environment through a selective non-catalytic emission reduction system (SNCR), polishing scrubber and baghouse filter system. The site will be prepared for future industrial development through the beneficial reuse of the ash, which will be applied to the property to improve the foundation.
According to ECE, comparable facilities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Utah have demonstrated significant success.
Construction of the new facility will create 300 jobs; ongoing operations will require at least 50 skilled positions with average salaries of approximately $50,000.
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