Eastern Railroad Discussion > Farewell to Coal Fired Power Plant

This link has a video of a cooling tower demolished with explosives. C&O/CSX was the sole rail transporter of coal to this plant, 2-3 million tons a year. Local truckers also supplied coal, all from eastern Kentucky. EPA regulation killed this one. It went from  800 megawatt to 280 megawatt output when the remaining unit was converted to gas. The loss of coal unit trains had to be a good part of CSX lower monetary flow.

http://www.dailyindependent.com/news/big-bang-at-big-sandy-plant-as-unit-comes-tumbling/article_08d166e8-8276-11e6-94e6-075489011e90.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/16 17:17 by AKYtrainNut.

EPA regulations didn't kill this plant. AEP made it clear the Big Sandy plant wculd remain open, with coal, if KY rate payers agreed.

They wanted cheaper natural gas power instead and that's what they got.

Posted from Android

And where do you get your information? As a payer we were not given an option, maybe PSC had a vote. My Kentucky Power bill has gone up a third!

This article states an EPA reg caused it.

http://www.wymt.com/content/news/Kentucky-Power-implodes-Big-Sandy-Power-Plant-cooling-tower-394691211.html



Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> EPA regulations didn't kill this plant. AEP made
> it clear the Big Sandy plant wculd remain open,
> with coal, if KY rate payers agreed.
>
> They wanted cheaper natural gas power instead and
> that's what they got.
>
> Posted from Android

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/16 18:18 by AKYtrainNut.

From the article:

"Officials idled the tower in May 2015 after new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. The regulations prohibit the use of coal to supply the plant with energy to draw water from the Big Sandy River for the plant's closed cooling system."

AKYtrainNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And where do you get your information? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/business/energy-environment/even-in-kentucky-coal-industry-is-under-siege.html?_r=0

"Here in Kentucky, the intervention by Mr. Adkins and other coal industry advocates has saved coal at Big Sandy, at least temporarily. American Electric Power, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, is proposing a $1 billion retrofit to allow the plant to continue burning coal and has asked Kentucky regulators to approve a 30 percent increase in electricity rates to pay for the work."

While ultimately, stricter EPA regulations may have caused the shut down, the owner was willing to do what was necessary to keep the plant burning coal. Just as Lackawanna484 stated. 

So it basically cost a 30% increase in rates to comply with the EPA regulations, then there is no guarantee that the EPA won't change their mind and enact a new rule making all that investment worthless.  

We all like clean air, but the EPA is out of control hell bent on destroying all industrial activity in pursuit of their unattainable goals. 

Rick Rowlands
Hubbard, OH
Youngstown Steel Heritage

The Big Sandy did not stop burning coal because it could no longer operate on a profitable basis. Rather, Big Sandy stopped burning coal because of a change in EPA regulations. Therefore, EPA action is the ultimate cause, period, full stop.
There is no point in trying to divert blame from the EPA by bringing up the economics of natural gas versus coal or some other tangential issue.
ALLEN

Those of us who live downwind from you and have seen our mountain forests destroyed by acid rain have no problem whatsoever with what the EPA is doing.

it will be interesting to see IF natural gas prices start increasing and the related economic impact..........

66

Other, newer coal plants continue to function under today's rules, and the future standards.

Kentucky decided not to pay for upgrades through the rate base. It was discussed here at the time. Big Sandy provided expensive power to a grid which was already awash in cheap power.

Posted from Android

Statements that coal burning at Big Sandy was stopped for economic reasons are contrary to the truth and nothing more than blatant propaganda to deflect blame from the EPA.
ALLEN