The Prairie State Generating Company said unit 1 of the 1600 megawatt facility in Washington County, Illinois, went online on June 6.

The power produced can be scheduled and sold on the power markets by its owners to municipal and electric cooperative retail customers in eight states.

In the meantime, unit 2 is also progressing and is expected to begin commercial operation late this year.

Construction on the campus began in 2007 though the initial vision was that of Peabody Energy during the early 2000s.

A mine-mouth underground operation has already been developed at the site.

“The decision … was based on sound long-term forecasts showing electricity costs from PSGC would be very competitive with other fuels such as nuclear and natural gas over the anticipated 30-plus year life of the facility, which remains the case today, even with some operating delays,” officials said.

“Additionally, coal-fueled electricity prices remain stable and reliable compared with the historic volatility of natural gas prices.

“Prairie State’s public power owners and Peabody Energy continue to provide their customer-owners with a safe, environmentally sound, reliable and cost-competitive electricity resource for decades to come.”

Final completion of the power plant, owned by Peabody as well as American Municipal Power, Illinois Municipal Electric, Indiana Municipal Power, Kentucky Municipal Power, Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission, Northern Illinois Municipal Power, Prairie Power and Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, is scheduled for 2013.

PSGC has so far invested $US1 billion in environmental emission controls, allowing it to meet and exceed the latest regulations from the US Environmental Protection Agency and the state EPA.