• The Power4Georgians EMCs have come together to build a modern, state-of-the-art, supercritical, coal-fueled power plant utilizing Best Available Control Technologies to minimize emissions.
• Located in Washington County, near Sandersville, the 850 MW power plant will provide base load electricity to nearly 700,000 EMC members, will cost approximately US $2.0 billion to build, and will use best available technologies to generate electricity while minimizing total emissions.
• Economically, during peak construction it will provide employment to over 1,000 workers and will require a permanent workforce of about 120 to 130 skilled workers during the operational phase of the project.
• The plant is estimated to begin operation in 2013.

The power plant will be developed on approximately 1,200 acres near, Sandersville, Washington County, in rural east-central Georgia.

Capital investment in the power station is expected to total approximately $2.0 billion.

Mixture of pulverized low-sulfur Powder River Basin coal and eastern coal (Illinois Basin #6 coal).

Water sources include non-potable ‘mine dewatering water’ from a nearby kaolin mine (4 MGD), groundwater from Cretaceous aquifer will be used when river levels are low; Oconee River water will only be used when river levels are high.

Approximately 12 MGD average; 14.5 MGD at peak.

The difference between water intake and discharge reflects the net water consumption of the plant. This water is primarily used by the wet flue gas desulfurization system (also known as a wet scrubber), the best available emissions control technology for pulverized coal boilers, and cooling tower evaporation.

Flue gas cleanup consists of selective catalytic reduction for nitrogen oxide (NOx) control; wet scrubbers for sulfur dioxide (SO2) reduction; dry sorbent injection for mercury and sulfuric acid mist control; and fabric filter baghouse for PM/PM10, lead, and other pollutants.

Wet scrubbers represent best available emissions control technology for pulverized coal plants, effective at removing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2).

This plant will use the latest in clean coal technology. Clean coal technology refers to a number of processes to increase combustion efficiency, and lower emissions.

This plant will use the best available technologies including wet flue gas desulfurization, selective catalytic reduction to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and a high-efficiency supercritical boiler system that allows more power to be generated using less coal.

This particular plant will be a highly efficient supercritical facility. “Highly efficient” refers to the effectiveness of the thermodynamic process of a coal-fired power plant. The efficiency describes how much of the energy that is fed into the plant is converted into electrical energy.

The greater the output of electrical energy for a given amount of energy input the higher the efficiency. Improving efficiency levels increases the amount of electric energy that can be extracted from a single unit of coal.

In a nutshell, the plant will require less than two-thirds the amount of coal and emit less than two-thirds the amount of carbon dioxide to produce the same amount of power as traditional/older coal-fired power plants. Additionally, this plant will also use the best available emissions control technology.

• Reduced fuel costs due to improved plant efficiency.
• Significant reduction in CO₂ emissions when compared to a sub-critical power plant.
• Excellent availability, comparable with that of an existing sub-critical plant.
• Plant costs comparable with sub-critical technology and less than other clean coal technologies.
• Much reduced NOx, SOx and particulate emissions.
• Compatible with biomass co-firing.
• Can be fully integrated with appropriate CO₂ capture technologies.
• Reduces existing pollution levels by burning less coal per megawatt-hour produced, capturing the vast majority of the pollutants, while allowing capacity to be added in a timely manner.
• Produces energy in a way that is much friendlier to our environment.
• Fuel costs are reduced because improved technology allows the plant to operate more efficiently – somewhat like an automobile that gets more miles to the gallon of gas than a comparable vehicle.

The cost per unit of electric energy produced by the plant will be much lower than that of most other power plants resulting in much more affordable rates for our members.

The Power Plant will support significant employment across the state and in the county. Employment estimates will be prepared as part of this year's conceptual design activities. However, preliminary estimates suggest:

• Peak construction employment of over 1,000 workers
• A permanent workforce of 120 to 130 skilled professionals during the operational phase of the project.