Staff report
gogle@wbcowqel.com
The giant Midwest metropolis known for its big shoulders has taken an interest in the electric problems of a much smaller community – namely Galion.
The Chicago Tribune ran a lengthy story Wednesday regarding the Prairie State Energy Campus controversy. Galion, through its affiliation with American Municipal Power, purchased electricity from the new coal burning plant in the form of long-term contracts.
Construction cost over runs on the project have forced costs to climb when compared with much cheaper electricity from natural gas sources for as many as 2.5 million consumers in communities all across the Midwest which, like Galion, invested in the plant. The article in The Tribune said Galion paid $85.13 per megawatt hour in May for electricity from Prairie State while paying $35.43 per megawatt hour for wind energy during the same period.
Galion City Council approved a resolution last week asking for the State Attorney General to conduct an investigation into how the long-term Prairie State contracts were marketed by AMP and Peabody.