Coal plant keeps air permit
The 250-megawatt Highwood Generating Station is being built by the Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission Cooperative. It has encountered numerous delays tied to problems raising money for the project, and to lawsuits by some environmental groups and residents of the Great Falls area.
The plant risked losing its air permit — first issued in May 2007 — if construction was not well under way by the end of November.
Southern Montana Electric scrambled to meet the deadline, starting construction in late October with only a small portion of the necessary funding in hand.
Charles Homer, DEQ permitting manager, wrote Southern Montana Electric on that the co-op had succeeded in deadline compliance.
Keeping the air permit helps the co-op make its case to potential investors that the power plant will be built, said Tim Gregori, general manager of Southern Montana Electric.
"Validating the air permit and showing we're under construction shows we have a valid project moving forward and there's a reasonable expectation the project will be completed," Gregori said.
Under the project's construction timeline, the plant could be operating by 2013.
Related News
Electricity Prices in France Turn Negative
FRANCE - France has recently experienced an unusual and unprecedented situation in its electricity market: negative electricity prices. This development, driven by a significant influx of renewable energy sources, highlights the evolving dynamics of energy markets as countries increasingly rely on clean energy technologies. The phenomenon of negative pricing reflects both the opportunities and challenges associated with the integration of renewable energy into national grids.
Negative electricity prices occur when the supply of electricity exceeds demand to such an extent that producers are willing to pay consumers to take the excess energy off their hands. This situation typically arises during…
