Seminole Electric Cooperative

Seminole Electric Cooperative operates as an electric power and energy generation and transmission cooperative in Florida.

The company’s primary resources include Seminole Generating Station, comprising two coal-fired generating facilities near Palatka, Florida with approximately 650 megawatts of net output per unit; and Payne Creek Generating Station in Hardee County, Florida, which is a 500 megawatt combined cycle plant that uses natural gas as its primary fuel source. Its generation portfolio also includes 54 megawatts of renewable energy resources. These resources include a 35 megawatt waste-to-energy facility, a 12 megawatt biomass (wood chip) plant, and a seven megawatt landfill gas plant.

The company was incorporated in 1948 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

Power portfolio
Out of its total 2,016 MW of electric generating capacity in 2005 (0.19% of the U.S. total), Seminole Electric produced 70.9% from coal and 29.1% from natural gas. All of Seminole Electric's power plants are in Florida.

Existing coal-fired power plants
Seminole Electric owned 1 coal-fired power plant in 2005, with 1,429 MW of capacity:

Coal lobbying
Seminole Electric Cooperative is a member of the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), an umbrella lobbying group for all coal ash interests that includes major coal burners Duke Energy, Southern Company and American Electric Power as well as dozens of other companies. The group argues that the so-called "beneficial-use industry" would be eliminated if a "hazardous" designation was given for coal ash waste.

ACAA set up a front group called Citizens for Recycling First, which argues that using toxic coal ash as fill in other products is safe, despite evidence to the contrary.

Seminole 3 Cancelled
On December 18, 2009, Seminole Electric Cooperative announced that it was abandoning plans to build the Seminole 3 plant, a third, 750 MW coal plant that had been planned for the same site as the existing two units (650 MW each) at Seminole Generating Station. Company spokesman Jeff Fela cited "uncertain regulatory and legal environment."

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Florida and coal
 * United States and coal
 * Global warming
 * Rural Electric Cooperatives and Coal