“After evaluating options for future environmental regulation compliance, ending coal use at these plants is the most cost-effective and cleanest option for our customers,” said Terry Bassham, president and CEO of Great Plains Energy and KCP&L.
The decision to retire or convert 700 MW of power generation comes in part as a result from recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, which would require KCP&L to make significant environmental upgrades to continue burning coal at these power plants. While retrofitting the largest, newer coal-fired power plants was the most cost-effective way to comply with environmental regulations, Bassham explained, the same cannot be said for the older, smaller units at Montrose, Lake Road and Sibley.
