COLUMBUS, OH — “American Municipal Power of Columbus owns 23 percent of the plant, a larger share than any other owner. Its share of power from the plant will be used by city-owned utilities in several states that agreed to the investment, including 60 cities in Ohio, including Galion, the nearest to Columbus.
AMP officials, who did not respond to requests for comment, said in a regulatory filing that power won’t be available sooner than July 1 because of administrative issues related to transporting the power from Illinois.
Prairie State has endured cost overruns and delays, and it has faced criticism from environmental groups, which say it is unwise to invest in coal power. The unit that is now online was scheduled to be completed late last year.
The AMP cities that invested in the project have had to pay interest on the bonds that financed the plant while they waited for it to be completed and to begin generating power.
AMP has said that electricity from Prairie State will cost $57 per megawatt-hour and average $65 per megawatt-hour for the life of the plant. Right now, wholesale electricity prices are much lower than the cost of power from Prairie State, a disparity that has amplified concerns about the project.”
— Dan Gearino, Columbus Dispatch
Investor Update, Prairie State Energy Campus (PSEC), June 7, 2012
— American Municipal Power
The next generation of coal-fueled energy, Prairie State Generating Company’s Power Plant goes live
— press release, American Municipal Power
