Green River Generating Station
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Green River Generating Station is a retired power station in Central City, Muhlenberg, Kentucky, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Green River Generating Station | Central City, Muhlenberg, Kentucky, United States | 37.363133, -87.122142 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4: 37.363133, -87.122142
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | retired | coal: unknown | 37.5 | subcritical | 1950 | 2003 |
| Unit 2 | retired | coal: unknown | 37.5 | subcritical | 1950 | 2003 |
| Unit 3 | retired | coal: bituminous | 75 | subcritical | 1954 | 2015 |
| Unit 4 | retired | coal: bituminous | 113.6 | subcritical | 1959 | 2015 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Kentucky Utilities Co [100%] | PPL Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Kentucky Utilities Co [100%] | PPL Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Kentucky Utilities Co [100%] | PPL Corp [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Kentucky Utilities Co [100%] | PPL Corp [100.0%] |
Retirement
In September 2011, E.ON subsidiaries LG&E and Kentucky Utilities reportedly asked the Kentucky Public Service commission to approve the purchase of Bluegrass Generation Co’s 495 MW natural gas-fired power plant, to replace their Green River Generating Station and Tyrone Generating Station.[1]
On May 3, 2012, the purchase of the Bluegrass gas plant was approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.[2]
The coal-fired power station is planned for closure in 2016.[3] It was closed in September 2015.[4]
Emissions Data
- 2006 CO2 Emissions: 1,169,616 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions:
- 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- 2006 NOx Emissions:
- 2005 Mercury Emissions:
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from the Green River Generating Station
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[5] The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma-related episodes and asthma-related emergency room visits, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, peneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal-fired power plants. Fine particle pollution is formed from a combination of soot, acid droplets, and heavy metals formed from sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and soot. Among those particles, the most dangerous are the smallest (smaller than 2.5 microns), which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities.
The table below estimates the death and illness attributable to the Green River Generating Station. Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[6]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from the Green River Generating Station
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 21 | $150,000 |
| Heart attacks | 31 | $3,300,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 340 | $18,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 15 | $350,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 13 | $5,500,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 20 | $8,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed February 2011
Citizen groups
- Coal River Mountain Watch
- Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
- Kentucky Environmental Foundation
- Kentucky Riverkeeper
- New Power
- Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Berea, KY, phone: (859) 986-7565
- Sierra Club Cumberland Chapter
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Three coal-fired power plants to be replaced by natural gas" Power Engineering, Sep. 15, 2011.
- ↑ "PSC OKs natural gas plant to replace coal-fired facility on Cane Run Road," IndyStar, May 4, 2012.
- ↑ Form EIA-860 Data - Schedule 3, 'Generator Data' US EIA, 2014
- ↑ "Power companies retired 10 percent of Kentucky’s coal capacity in 2015," Lexington Herald Leader, Mar 8, 2016
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
