Energy plant eyes Pershing County

A Canadian company is looking at Pershing County as a potential site for a coal-fired power plant.

The plant would use 10,000 acre-feet of water per year, says County Commissioner Darin Bloyed, who heard Lorne Bradley, president of Railex Power & Energy Group, present plans to the Pershing County board of commissioners earlier this month.

Railex, based in based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, bought a substantial amount of land near the old mining town of Oreana, says Bloyed.

Railex would need to bring a rail spur to Oreana back from the Union Pacific tracks at Interstate 80, he adds, because it would need to deliver up to 140 rail cars of coal at a time.

The company is negotiating with area farmers for water rights, says Bloyed.

"But it's very preliminary. It could be years down the road." While the board was initially receptive, he adds, it will want to see the state environmental impact reports before making a decision.