Two members drop out of coal plant group

A coalition of electric cooperatives that plans to invest in a new coal plant in Georgia has lost two of its members.

GreyStone Power, a large co-op that serves eight counties in western suburban Atlanta, and Excelsior EMC, a smaller co-op based in Statesboro, pulled out.

They were among 10 cooperatives that two years ago announced plans to build a coal plant in Washington County, in Middle Georgia.

GreyStone was one of four metro Atlanta co-ops involved. The others are Jackson EMC in the northeast suburbs, Snapping Shoals EMC to the city’s southeast and Marietta-based Cobb EMC.

Led by Cobb EMC, the project was a departure for the state’s electric cooperatives. Co-ops distribute power in Georgia, but had not built a large-scale generating plant before.

GreyStone cited an uncertain regulatory environment in Washington for the decision.

An opponent of the plant, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said that the defections would make it harder for the remaining co-ops to continue with the $2.2 billion project.

Dean Alford, a spokesman for the coalition, said the remaining co-ops are committed to the project. In a statement, the coalition said Georgia’s future energy needs can’t be met without coal.