Seminole 3

Seminole Electric Cooperative planned to add a third, 750 MW coal plant to the existing two units (650 MW each) at Seminole Generating Station. Construction was scheduled to begin in October 2008 and be completed by 2012. In August, 2007, the Florida Department of Environmental Quality denied the site certification for the plant.

In August 2008, the Fifth District Court of Appeals unanimously directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to issue a final order granting site certification for the Seminole plant.

On September 3, 2008, the FDEP issued a final air permit.

In November 2008, the Sierra Club filed two suits to halt the plant. In one, the group appealed the plant's permit to the 1st District Court of Appeal, and in another to the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). The EAB recently rescinded the air permit for Deseret's Bonanza Power Plant addition because it failed to require controls for carbon dioxide emissions.

In February and March 2009, the Sierra Club and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy submitted opening briefs in their appeal of the final PSD permit. Briefing will conclude in May 2009, with oral argument following.

On December 18, 2009, Seminole Electric announced that it was abandoning plans to build the plant. Company spokesman Jeff Fela cited "uncertain regulatory and legal environment."

Project Details
Sponsor: Seminole Electric Cooperative Location: Palatka, Putnam County, FL Size: 750 MW Projected in service: 2014 or later Status: Cancelled

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Carbon Capture and Storage
 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2007
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2009
 * Coal plant litigation
 * Florida and coal
 * State-by-state guide to information on coal in the United States (or click on the map)