Washington (Platts)--8May2007

American Municipal Power-Ohio on Monday filed several regulatory requests to
approve what would be the largest coal-fired power plant to be built in Ohio
in nearly two decades -- an 800-MW baseload facility near the Ohio-West
Virginia border.

The Columbus-based wholesale power supplier submitted applications to the Ohio
Power Siting Board, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of
Engineers.

"At this point, permitting is one of the primary hurdles for this project,"
said Marc Gerken, president and CEO of AMP-Ohio. "While working on these
applications, we have been continuing negotiations with a few remaining
property owners impacted by the plant and transmission route and working with
state and local officials on appropriate financial incentives. All of these
must be resolved before moving forward on this valuable project."

According to the Power Siting Board application, the project now carries an
estimated price tag of $2.3 billion.

The company is considering using Powerspan's multipollutant-control ECO
technology, said John Bentine, an attorney for AMP-Ohio. In addition to
cutting emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulates and mercury,
the process has the potential for carbon capture as well.

AMP-Ohio wants to begin construction of the plant in 2008 or 2009, with at
least the initial 500-MW unit on line in 2012. It wants to complete both units
in 2012 or 2013.

AMP-Ohio filed an air permit-to-install application about a year ago with Ohio
EPA. "We hope for a decision soon" from OEPA, Bentine said. 

Most of the plant's output will be dedicated to 75 of AMP-Ohio's members.
Altogether, AMP-Ohio has 120 members in Ohio and surrounding states.

Ohio Coal Association President Michael Carey said he is excited about the
project. "It's obviously a very big project. AMP-Ohio needs the power, and I'm
going to try to get some of our people involved in the project."

The plant would burn more than 2 million short tons of high-sulfur coal
annually.

-- Bob Matyi, bobmaty@platts.com