SME moves ahead with gas-fired power plant near Great Falls
Posted on April 28
By the Associated Press



GREAT FALLS - An electric cooperative is going ahead with plans to build a natural gas-fired power plant instead of a coal-powered facility east of Great Falls.

Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission filed an application with the state Department of Environmental Quality on Friday to modify an air quality permit it already has for the coal-fired plant. SME now wants to build a 120-megawatt natural gas plant.

Tim Gregori, SME’s general manager, said the cleaner-burning gas facility should address “many of the concerns that have been raised by the folks who have been watching the project.”


Brent Lignell, a DEQ environmental engineer who is processing the application, said SME has requested a condition that would prevent the simultaneous operation of a coal-fired boiler and gas plant, which he said “would be emissions on top of emissions.” The application also requests that SME be allowed to burn natural gas in aircraft-type turbines modified for industrial power plant use.

Citizens for Clean Energy and the Montana Environmental Information Agency challenged the original coal-fired plant over emissions of carbon dioxide and particulate. SME officials said in February that they would pursue natural gas power instead of coal.

Richard Liebert, chairman of Citizens for Clean Energy, said it was too soon to know if the modification would satisfy the group’s concerns.

“We want to look at it and judge it fairly and see where they are going with it,” he said.

Buck