American Electric Power and Buckeye Power are investing in new environmental controls at the jointly owned Cardinal Power Plant in Brilliant, Ohio, a project that not only will reduce emissions but also will provide a boost to the area´s economy.

The firms are conducting preliminary studies and engineering for the installation of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems on units 1 and 2 of the Cardinal Plant. FGD systems, commonly called scrubbers, reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, a contributor to acid rain, by up to 98 percent.

Cardinal’s 600 MW unit 1 is owned by AEP. Buckeye Power owns the 600 MW unit 2, as well as a third unit that produces 630 MW. AEP manages and operates all Cardinal units.

Early estimates are that the FGD installations will cost about $200 million per unit. More precise estimates will be available once design and construction plans are complete.

“AEP’s portion of this investment is part of the $3.5 billion we are investing to improve the environmental performance of our generation plants,” said Michael G. Morris, AEP chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The scrubber installations at Cardinal will reduce emissions from this facility and, at the same time, will keep the plant producing a reliable supply of low-cost power for both AEP and Buckeye Power customers.”

"Ohio´s electric cooperatives, through their ownership of Buckeye Power, have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to ensure their units at Cardinal meet or exceed all state and federal EPA guidelines," said Tony Ahern, president and chief executive officer of Buckeye Power. "This investment not only will allow us to maintain that kind of environmental stewardship but also has the potential to create some new jobs in the region."

The construction projects will create the need for temporary labor. Temporary positions will be filled through contractors selected to install the equipment. Workers from all 14 building trades will be supplied through local union hiring halls. Additional full-time staff will be required once the scrubbers are completed and in operation. The number of additional full-time staff will depend on the technology installed and material-handling decisions the company makes during the engineering phase.

The scrubber installation marks the second major investment in environmental controls at Cardinal in three years. All three generating units at Cardinal are equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems that reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, a contributor to the formation of urban ozone or smog, by up to 90 percent. The SCRs were completed in May 2003 at an estimated cost of $275 million.