Southern Co Group To Get $200M For Clean-Coal Generator

Dow Jones & Company, Inc. - Oct 19

SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones)--The U.S. Department of Energy will give more than $ 200 million to a consortium led by Southern Co. (SO) to build a clean coal-fired power plant in Florida, the department said Tuesday.

Once completed, the Stanton Energy Center will use advanced emission controls and "will be one of the cleanest, most energy-efficient coal power plants in the world," the federal agency said.

The project was part of the Bush administration's "Clean Coal Power Initiative." Southern Co. and its partners - the Orlando Utilities Commission, the Florida Municipal Power Agency, and the Kissimmee Utility Authority - already operate traditional gas and coal-fired generators at the Stanton power plant, which can generate up to 1,560 megawatts.

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Gov. Jeb Bush will officially announce the grant Thursday in Orlando .

-By Mark Golden , Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-6118; mark.golden@dowjones.com

Dow Jones Newswires 10-19-04 1914ET