News

Prairie State Energy Campus Reaching New Heights

by Jamie Forsythe

FromThe Belleville News-Democrat (10/30/08)

DASH: With 20 of the largest cranes in North America on site and completion of a 700-foot chimney expected soon, progress is evident on a major electricity generating station and coal mine under construction in Washington County, Prairie State Energy Campus officials say.

A year after work started, the project is 6 percent complete with regard to construction and 8 percent complete with regard to total project, said Peter DeQuattro, president and CEO of Prairie State Generating Co.

Heavy spring rains did slightly delay work. "We're happy to say we're catching back up," DeQuattro said. "Our rate of completion is exceeding the original plan."

The $3.9 billion Prairie State Energy Campus will include a 1,600-megawatt pulverized coal power plant that will sit on a 500-acre site near Lively Grove Township. The plant will be powered by coal from the adjacent underground Lively Grove Mine spanning 200 acres.

The new target completion date for the first 800 megawatt generating unit is June 2011, DeQuattro said, which is two months ahead of the original target of August 2011. The second 800 megawatt generating unit will be completed 10 months after Unit 1. "Now that I'm in charge I can stir the pot a little bit," said DeQuattro, who took over in May.

He expects the next big milestone of the project's construction phase to occur in spring 2009, when construction begins on two massive boilers. The boilers require natural gas to ignite, and Ameren plans to install five miles of natural gas pipeline to the Prairie State site.

DeQuattro provided a project update to a packed house Oct. 23 at the VFW Post No. 6865 in Coulterville. More than 200 people attended the bi-annual Regional Leadership Breakfast hosted by the Regional Leadership and Development Committee.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency inspects the construction site monthly, according to DeQuattro.

Prairie State Generating Co. has all the necessary permits with the exception of a revised water permit.

"We are looking forward," he said, to getting that permit.

Despite environmental concerns, many residents of surrounding communities attending the Oct. 23 event were in support of the project and what it will bring to the region.

"This is an exciting time for our area," Coulterville Mayor William Jarrett said. "We can already see the positive changes" because of Prairie State.

Jarrett has supported the project since the beginning, he said, because the community realizes the importance of mines. "This (Prairie State Energy Campus) is going to benefit the area for years to come," he said. "It's going to bring thousands of jobs."

In addition to bringing domestic energy to the region in the future, Prairie State has had an immediate impact with 1,100 construction workers currently on site, and more expected in the future.

Prairie State Generating Co., DeQuattro said, is forecasting as many as 2,500 construction jobs and 500 permanent "high-paying," skilled jobs once construction is complete.

"We appreciate all the support we have received so far," DeQuattro said. "We're very happy as Prairie State Generating Co. to be here and be a part of this community."

St. Louis-based Peabody Energy owns 5 percent of the project, and eight public power entities own the remaining 95 percent.

San Francisco-based Bechtel Power Corp. is providing engineering services for Prairie State Energy Campus.