Washington EMC Signs Members on to Participate in Two Dirty Coal Plants in Rural Georgia

Washington EMC is a member of a conglomerate of EMCs proposing two dirty coal-fired power plants in rural Georgia.  The conglomerate is led by Cobb EMC.

Conservative cost estimates for construction of both proposed coal-burning plants is more than $4.6 billion – more than $13,800 in debt for each of the 333,133 EMC members in the Power4Georgians consortium.

Plant Washington Coal Plant

In January 2008, a consortium group organized by Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) and four other Electric Management Corporations (EMCs), submitted a proposal for a coal-fired power plant to EPD.  Specifically, the EMCs seek to construct an 854 MW coal-fired power plant in Sandersville, Georgia, 60 miles east of Macon and close to Georgia Power’s Plant Scherer.  

The siting of this coal plant is of particular concern for Georgians.  The plant would require millions of gallons of water each day from a river basin that has already experienced low flows and is home to endangered species such as the robust redhorse.  The plant would also be located in close proximity to major areas that already have air pollution issues, such as Macon and Atlanta.  Financial concerns also surround the decision to construct this plant.  The “lead” EMC, Cobb EMC, is already embroiled in litigation questioning the ability of its directors to make sound financial decisions. 

Plant Ben Hill Coal Plant

This private consortium of electric cooperatives,headed by Cobb EMC, intends to develop a second 850-megawatt coal-fired plant in Georgia, in addition to Plant Washington. Its second plant would be near Fitzgerald in south-central Ben Hill County. Located on the Ocmulgee River, proposed Plant Ben Hill’scoal-burning technology would require enormous water resources in the production of electricity and would emit dangerous pollutants affecting the immediate area as well as downstream and upwind communities.

Organizations across Georgia are also troubled by the damaging pollution the proposed coal-fired Ben Hill plant would have on air quality, rivers and watersheds, farms, and health. Every day Georgia imports millions of tons of coal to burn.  With each load of coal that's brought into our state, Georgians send money out of state to coal producing regions...and in return, our families get the air pollution and water pollution, and our communities lose hundreds of millions of gallons of water due to evaporation from the massive coal plants.

For more information on Washington EMC, contact the spokespeople below or visit www.faceenvironment.org.

Washington EMC Press Contacts

• Katherine Helms Cummings, 478-232-8010 , khc83@alumni.guilford.edu
• Spokesperson for:  Health issues, water use, mercury, coal ash waste, air quality

• Dianna Wedincamp, 866-942-6222x3, dwedincamp@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org
• Spokesperson for: Water use, mercury in south Georgia rivers, coal ash waste