Texas revisits coal generation

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - A new coal-fired energy plant in Texas is the first in the state in almost 30 years, spurred by rising prices of other energy sources, officials say.

The $1 billion plant built by CPS Energy near San Antonio allegedly will create enough energy annually to power almost 200,000 homes, The San Antonio Express-News reported.

CPS followed other utilities around the country and stopped building coal plants in the early 1990s in favor of cheaper and cleaner-burning natural gas plants.

But when natural gas prices rose, utilities decided to reconsider coal, to the dismay of environmentalists and health advocates, the newspaper said.

Some San Antonio residents and environmentalists opposed CPS when it first sought a permit for the plant, but they ultimately came to an agreement with the utility over measures to mitigate pollution.

CPS says its environmental controls will drastically reduce emissions compared with older plants, the Express-News said.

The company claims scrubbers, selective catalytic reduction and a fabric filter dust collection system, known as a "bag house," will remove thousands of tons of polluting chemicals annually from the coal waste before it's released into the atmosphere.