Day: Enough lignite in state to power plant for decades

KEMPER COUNTY — Once Mississippi Power Co.’s generating plant in Kemper County comes online, it will be supported by a large — and eventually, the largest — coal mining operation in the state.

Mississippi Power president/CEO Ed Day says there is enough lignite coal in East Mississippi to keep the plant running for decades.

Liberty Fuels Co., a subsidiary of North American Coal Corp., will mine the lignite for Mississippi Power.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality will hold a public hearing in DeKalb Oct. 18 about Liberty Fuels’ permit application.

The application calls for Liberty Fuels to mine two million tons of lignite per year during the first five-year permit. Thereafter, it will mine 4.1 million tons per year through 2052.