It looks like the Texas Panhandle will be getting a coal-powered energy plant. The Celanese Corporation has sold its Pampa plant to the Australian investment firm of Babcock & Brown. The plant currently produces various chemicals, but the investment firm plans to convert it into a power plant using coal as its source of energy.
Celanese said the plant, which has been operating since 1952, was outdated and had much higher operating costs than their other more modern plants. The 225 employees can hire on at the future power facility, or transfer to other Celanese plants. Chemical production at the plant should cease in early 2009.
After chemical production ceases, the plant will be converted to a coal-burning power plant capable of producing about 800 megawatts (one megawatt can provide electricity for 250-300 homes). The company also plans to use wind energy to produce another 1000 megawatts.
Nothing was said in the news release about using the most modern technology to minimize the amount of pollution normally produced in a coal-burning power plant. I hope the company doesn't believe such precautions are not needed in the wide-open spaces of the Panhandle.
We currently enjoy clean, healthy and breathable air here in the Panhandle, but it wouldn't take very many coal-powered plants with yesterday's technology to destroy that.
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