Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Coal power plant shelved; Obama, natural gas cited

Plans to build one of "the cleanest coal-fired generators in the world" as the company put it, have been shelved. White Stallion Energy LLC blamed low natural-gas prices and the Obama administration's increased interest in fighting climate change, "But the company undermined its message somewhat and angered locals by fighting U.S. EPA limits on mercury emissions," Nathanial Gronewold reports for Environment & Energy News.

"Pronouncements by the administration -- most recently in the President's State of the Union message -- continue to indicate that additional regulatory barriers to such projects will be erected," Chief Operating Officer Randy Bird said in a statement. "In addition, even though the generation needs for the state of Texas continue to grow, the presently low price of natural gas has made the price of electricity from a new coal-fired generator uncompetitive at this time."

The 1,200-megawatt station was to be built in Matagorda County, south of Houston along the Gulf coast.

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