Tag Archives: coal-fired power plant

Where’s the Outrage Over Coal Boondogles?

Back in 1980, Sunflower Generation Corporation in Kansas received $543 million in federal loans and loan guarantees (taxpayer money). Like Solyndra, they were not able to pay that money back. So they arranged deals with the federal government to “restructure” the loans, multiple times. Sunflower was unable to repay taxpayers due to financial strain related to over-built Holcomb I, the existing coal plant Sunflower owns. Continue reading

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Clean Air Advocates Cheer Court Decision on Kansas Coal Plant Expansion

Much of Sunflower’s financial struggles stem from overbuilding capacity at their existing unit, Holcomb I, which is a scenario that could be repeated if Holcomb II is constructed since neither Sunflower nor Tri-State, the Colorado partner, has demonstrated the project is needed. Continue reading

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Industry Wields Sway Over Air Pollution Rules, Enforcement

Sunflower Electric’s Kansas permit success (to date) is a telling snapshot of how, when industry flexes its muscles over Clean Air Act issues, it often wins. From Kansas to Louisiana to Texas, Wisconsin and Ohio, community groups have fought new plants, expansions and chronic emissions – only to see industry score victories with regulators and politicians. Continue reading

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Company Suspends Plan for Northeast Arkansas Power Plant

A power plant developer said Monday it would suspend plans for a new coal-fired unit in northeastern Arkansas for at least five years and stop efforts altogether to build a facility in southern Georgia. The intent at Plum Point is a five-year hold and poor market conditions made it easy to agree to the delay. Continue reading

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Brand New Power Plant is Idled by the Economy

Coal-fired Spiritwood Station was built to serve electric co-ops. But it’s turned into a money drain. Continue reading

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GPACE Executive Moving to Sierra Club Position

Allegrucci begins his work with the Beyond Coal Campaign November 28th. His work as a Senior Campaign Representative will cover the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri. Continue reading

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Fair Fight?

Whether people are opposed to or supportive of Sunflower’s coal-fired plant, the regulatory trail this project has traveled over the last four or five years raises questions and concerns. This is a contentious fight, but it doesn’t help KDHE or Kansas to be caught misrepresenting the facts of the case. Continue reading

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Is KDHE a Regulator or a Manipulator?

So not only did KDHE ignore EPA’s directives, it tried to mislead the Supreme Court. These are people in charge of protecting our health and environment? Continue reading

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More Dirt on Sunflower Electric’s Coal-fired Power Plant

State legislators, Govs. Mark Parkinson and Sam Brownback, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment have not acted in the public’s best interest during this tortured five-year saga. As a result, a weak permit was rushed through to allow the expansion. Continue reading

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EPA Says KDHE Not Honest About Permit Objections

An Environmental Protection Agency official has accused lawyers representing a Kansas agency of lying to the state Supreme Court about support for a permit that would allow a $2.8 billion coal-fired power plant to be built in southwest Kansas. Continue reading

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