ATLANTA, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power today asked the Georgia
Public Service Commission (PSC) for approval to convert coal-fueled Plant
Mitchell to renewable wood biomass.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGO )
Upon conversion, Plant Mitchell - near Albany - would be capable of
producing 96 megawatts of renewable energy - or enough electricity to power
60,000 homes. The plant would have lower emissions, and would be one of the
largest wood biomass plants in the United States. It would also have lower
fuel and operating costs when compared to continued operation using coal,
thereby making the plant more cost-effective for customers.
Surplus wood fuel for Plant Mitchell would come from suppliers
operating within an approximately 100-mile radius of the plant.
"Georgia Power is taking an important step toward continued
diversification of its fuel sources and making renewable energy more
affordable for customers," said Mike Garrett, Georgia Power president and
CEO. "By converting Plant Mitchell to biomass, we hope to not only help
grow the renewable resource base in Georgia but also to expand the market
for renewable energy credits, which ultimately will foster additional
renewable energy development."
Renewable energy credits are created when a renewable energy facility
generates electricity or uses renewable fuel. The PSC is expected to rule
on the proposal to convert Plant Mitchell to biomass by spring of 2009.
Retrofit construction would begin by spring of 2011 and the biomass plant
would likely begin operations in June 2012.
Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the
nation's largest generators of electricity. The company is an
investor-owned, tax-paying utility with rates well below the national
average. Georgia Power serves 2.3 million customers in all but four of
Georgia's 159 counties.
SOURCE Georgia Power
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Related links:
http://www.georgiapower.com
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CONTACT:
Lynn Wallace, Georgia Power, +1-404-506-7676,
1-800-282-1696, or corpcomm@georgiapower.com
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