The Coweta County Commission made quite clear its support of citizens' concerns about two new power plants under construction in Heard County.

But the commission also said that a wave of disinformation must be stopped in order to maintain that support.

The two huge power plants in neighboring Heard County have been the source of a fierce controversy in the county during the last month. Commissioners recently learned that Dynegy Inc. is building a 500-megawatt natural gas-fired electric generating plant, just across the line in Heard County.

But six acres of the site lie in Coweta County and are zoned rural reserve, not industrial. Officials from Dynegy approached the Planning Department about using the tract as a construction staging area, but were told the property would have to be rezoned first. The company decided not to seek a rezoning and planted Virginia Pines as a buffer.

When the details of the plant construction were discovered, Commissioner Jim McGuffey was outraged that the project was approved by Heard County officials without any comments from Coweta residents or officials.

“The citizens have not had an opportunity to voice concerns or objections on a project that will affect their quality of life,” he said.

Heard officials also approved the construction of the Tenaska Generation Station, which will be a 100-megawatt power station, and McGuffey wants the staff to examine the impact of that facility on Coweta County.

During Tuesday's meeting, Doug Whittaker, who represents concerned residents near the plant, wanted to know the status of the commissioners' efforts to find out more about the power plants.

McGuffey said the county has written a letter to state Environmental Protection Division officials about the environmental impact and said they had not heard back. But McGuffey, Nelms and Chairman Vernon “Mutt” Hunter said the citizens' group needs to quit sending out information that the county knew about these projects before it was brought to the public's attention.

Hunter also said the commission's authority is somewhat limited.

“We don't have any authority in Heard County,” he said, but Whittaker said that all the flyers and mailings had been stopped and hoped the commission would keep supporting the group's efforts to stop construction of the plants.

Dynegy will sell the power generated at the Heard County Power Project in the wholesale electricity market to investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives and municipalities, when commercial operations begin during the second quarter of 2001.

The capacity of Dynegy's 34 U.S. generation assets currently operating or under construction is more than 7,000 gross megawatts.

Dynegy Inc. is one of the country's leading marketers of energy products and services. The company provides energy solutions to its customers primarily in North America and the United Kingdom, according to company literature.

Some research for this article was found at www.dynegy.com.

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