GARDEN CITY, Kan., Oct. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Rural electric cooperative Sunflower Electric will seek yet another milestone for its Holcomb Expansion Project on October 24, October 26, and November 16, attending Air Permit hearings on the project before the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Three public forums will take place in Garden City, Topeka, and Lawrence, respectively, and follow KDHE's published draft permit that will set emissions limits for three 700 MW electric generating units to be built at Sunflower's existing plant site south of Holcomb, Kansas. The process is used by KDHE to allow the public to comment on its conclusions on Sunflower's permit application, which was submitted on February 6, 2006.
"Sunflower is eager to demonstrate to KDHE and the public the facts about our Holcomb Expansion Project, and our stellar record for emissions control at Holcomb," said Wayne Penrod, Sunflower Executive Manager, Environment. "Our expansion will feature the highly-efficient generation technologies, best available control technologies, aggressive mercury controls and stand among the cleanest coal-based plants in the country."
Sunflower leaders will highlight the use of advanced environmental technologies at the hearings. To control emissions, the proposed new Holcomb units will use state-of-the-art, supercritical units that burn 212 fewer tons of coal per day for each unit -- that's an annual savings of 209,000 tons compared with currently used alternatives. When compared to existing technology used at Holcomb, the annual savings will approach one million tons. This modern technology also will control mercury emissions to below levels required in the stringent KDHE air-quality permit.
"Our expansion will use advanced technology and highly-trained experts, who will work to aggressively control mercury emissions," Penrod said. "This expansion will control mercury emissions so well, that our goal is to not exceed emissions from Sunflower's current generation unit."
The KDHE air permit approval is one of several regulatory steps that Sunflower must follow to receive final approval to construct the new Holcomb units. Golden Spread Electric Cooperative of Amarillo, Texas, Sunflower, and other investors will jointly own the first new 700-megawatt unit. Golden Spread will own 400 megawatts of the unit's output for supply to its member systems. Sunflower will provide up to 150 megawatts to its member systems, and Midwest Energy, headquartered in Hays, Kansas, will take 75 megawatts. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association of Westminster, Colorado, will own the second and third 700-megawatt units, which it will use to supply power to its member systems.
About Sunflower
Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is a regional wholesale power supplier that owns and operates a 595 MW system of gas and coal-fired generating plants and a 1,200-mile transmission system for the needs of its six member cooperatives, which serve 118,000 people spread throughout a 21,000 square mile area in western Kansas. Sunflower also provides power to regional utilities in western Kansas and in ten states. Visit the Holcomb Expansion website at www.holcombstation.coop.
Sunflower's member cooperatives include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative, Dighton, Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Ulysses, Prairie Land Electric Cooperative, Norton, Victory Electric Cooperative Association, Dodge City, Western Cooperative Electric Association, WaKeeney, and Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Scott City, Kansas.