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The Prairie State Energy Campus in Washington County, Illinois is a technologically advanced electric generation facility, 95% owned by eight non-profit utilities who are committed to providing clean, reliable and affordable baseload power to hundreds of local communities in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Its combined design efficiencies mean Prairie State will significantly improve our industry’s environmental profile by displacing existing, less-efficient power plants – it will produce nearly 2.5 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide per year than the electricity generation it is replacing.
Community Based Energy Solutions
- The cooperatives and public power companies that own Prairie State are accountable to the consumers and local governments they serve. These utilities are already engaged in renewable energy projects and effective energy efficiency programs.
- Beginning in 2011, Prairie State will be the hometown energy supplier delivering clean, reliable, low-cost electricity to more than 2.5 million families in nine states.
- As a ‘new entrant’ into the nation’s base-load generating portfolio, Prairie State should not be disadvantaged by climate change legislation relative to the capacity this community-based power initiative will be replacing.
Prairie State- By the Numbers
- 1,600 MW supercritical power plant
- Approximately $4 billion construction project
- Air permit issued in 2005
- One of the largest power plant construction project in the U.S.
- 2,700+ construction workers
- 500+ full-time employees
- Will serve 2.5 million families in 9 states
- $785 million in annual economic benefits to Illinois including $734 million to the region
- 6.3 million tons of coal used annually from adjacent mine – the equivalent of 20 million barrels of oil
Next Step - a Clean Energy Future
Prairie State is part of a balanced energy portfolio that can help us transition to lower intensity carbon generation. The plant has the potential to accept greenhouse gas capture systems when the technology is commercially available. Prairie State’s state-of-the-art air quality control systems will make it among the cleanest power plants of its kind in the country for regulated pollutants.
- New supercritical power plants, like Prairie State, will significantly improve the environment by displacing existing, less-efficient power plants.
- Prairie State’s ultra-efficient design means its carbon dioxide emissions will be approximately 15 percent less than the typical U.S. coal plant.
- The coal used to power Prairie State is derived from an adjacent underground mine, which eliminates the carbon dioxide emissions associated with coal transported from elsewhere – nearly 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide are saved per year by transporting this coal from the adjacent mine instead of by rail from the Powder River Basin.
Ensuring Electric Reliability
According to the Midwest ISO, long-term electric demand forecasts remain strong even though the economy has slowed. Experts agree, new baseload capacity generation is essential to meeting increased demand. As part of a balanced portfolio approach, Prairie State can help us reliably meet growing energy demands, increase energy independence and stimulate our economy.
Providing Affordable Energy
Prairie State allows its owners the ability to secure more than 30 years worth of coal reserves in advance, thus ensuring its customers steady, affordable rates for decades to come.
Fun Facts About Prairie State Energy Campus
- More than 165,000 cubic yards of concrete will be used to build the plant – enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- 42,000 tons of structural steel will be used to build the plant, about half the steel tonnage of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) in Chicago, IL.
- The plant will utilize two 800 MW supercritical units. Both of the boilers use state-of-the-art supercritical technology to maximize efficiency and minimize emissions.
- Each unit will use approximately 400,000 gallons a minute of cooling water flow – enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool in 1 1/2 minutes.
- 4,500 miles linear footage of mining, equivalent to driving from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, CA – and back.
- 1,200 miles of electric cable will be used in the plant – enough to stretch from St. Louis, MO to El Paso, TX.
- Enough electric cable will be used in the mine to stretch from St. Louis, MO to Evansville, IN.
- 68 miles of fiber optic cable will be used in the mine – equivalent to 9,000 homeruns. Also, 168 miles of belt or 884,000 feet will be used in the mine.
- 120 miles of piping will be used to build the plant – enough to stretch from the plant to Springfield, IL.
- The stack is 700’ tall – 70’ taller than the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO.
- Coal reserve block spans a 45 square mile area and represents 200 million tons of recoverable coal– a 30 year supply for the plant. It takes one pound of Illinois coal to produce enough electricity to run your television for five hours.
- The project encompasses over 700 acres of land for the plant and new mine. Coal will be mined in 2010, Unit 1 will come online in 2011 and Unit 2 will start operations in 2012.
