Duke Energy announced Thursday it will stop burning coal at the nearly 60-year-old Walter C Beckjord Station's two remaining units, months ahead of its previously announced January 2015 deadline to retire 862 megawatts of coal electricity.
The coal plant was the site of a fuel spill last week in the Ohio River.
Duke Energy reported Monday approximately 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel are believed to have leaked into the river, up from original estimates of 5,000 gallons, according to the utility. The spill occurred Aug. 18 during a fuel oil transfer on the banks of the river at the Clermont County plant. The company says it's working closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on its investigation and cleanup, as well as other federal, state and local agencies regarding the spill.
Duke Energy has also filed a request to increase customers' bills to keep burning coal at its other aging coal plants, according to a release Thursday from the Sierra Club. The case is pending before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio with hearings set to begin Sept. 8 in Cincinnati, according to the release.
"Duke's decision to transition away from coal at WC Beckjord proves that its leaders can take a stand on dirty energy," said Daniel Sawmiller, campaign representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal in Ohio. "Duke Energy's request to bail out its other coal plants should be denied. They are polluting the air in Ohio and expecting electricity customers to foot the bill. It's unfair."
WC Beckjord coal plant has cost Ohioans close to $1.5 million a year in public health costs, according to a 2014 Clean Air Task Force study, the release stated.