Mississippi and coal

Introduction
Mississippi coal mines produced 3.8 million tons of coal in 2006 (0.3% of the U.S. total); Mississippi ranks 19th out of the 50 states in terms of coal production. Mississippi employed 178 coal miners in 2006, none of whom were unionized.

Mississippi had 9 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 2,696 MW of capacity, representing 14.5% of the state's total electric generating capacity; Mississippi ranks 34th out of 50 states in terms of coal-fired generating capacity. In 2006, Mississippi's coal-fired power plants produced 22.2 million tons of CO2, 75,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 34,000 tons of nitrogen oxide; coal-fired power plants were responsible for 35.7% of the state's total CO2 emissions. In 2005, Mississippi emitted 21.3 tons of CO2 per person, slightly higher than the U.S. average.

History
The coal power industry is relatively weak in Mississippi, where power production is dominated by natural gas (77% of the state's electric generating capacity in 2005).

Active

 * Kemper Project, Kemper County, MS
 * Belwood Coal-to-Liquids, Netchez, MS
 * Mississippi Gasification, Moss Point, MS

Cancelled

 * Red Hills Power Project

Coal power companies

 * Mississippi Power Company, owned by Southern Company
 * Rentech
 * South Mississippi Electric Power Association

Existing coal plants
Mississippi had 9 coal-fired generating units at five locations in 2005, with 2,696 MW of capacity - representing 14.5% of the state's total electric generating capacity.

Click on the locations shown on the Mississippi map for plant details:

Here is a list of coal power plants in Mississippi with capacity over 400 MW: These 4 plants represent 98.8% of Mississippi's coal energy generating capacity, 35.7% of the state's total CO2 emissions, and 31.6% of its total SO2 emissions.

For a map of existing coal plants in the state, see the bottom of this page.

Coal ash in Mississippi
According to a 2007 risk assessment report released by the EPA, Mississippi has one coal ash pond at the Jack Watson Generating Plant operated by Southern Company. The Jack Watson coal ash pond was commissioned in 1968 and expanded in 1974 and again in 1999. Additionally, Mississippi has at least four landfills that store coal ash. The EPA has not yet gathered information on coal ash disposal in landfills, so a detailed breakdown is not yet available. According to the risk assessment, the Jack Watson plant is unlined, and the Victor J. Daniel plant (a landfill) has only a clay liner. Neither site has groundwater monitoring.

Mississippi generated 1.75 million tons of coal ash per year, ranking 24th in the nation for coal ash generation.

Major coal mines
There are no major coal mines in Mississippi. As of 2010 there was approximately 1 active coal mines in Mississippi with production of approximately 4,004 short tons per year.

Citizen groups

 * Mississippi Sierra Club

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Existing U.S. Coal Mines
 * US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2007
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * Profiles of other states (or click on the map)