Permanent employment is expected to be 300 in the power plant and the coal mining operations. But the economic impact won t stop there. Reid estimates that once the facility goes online with full taxation, it will double the tax base of Choctaw County. Local officials are also working to attract new industries to the Ecoplex Industrial Park located next to the plant. Reid said that officials believe the impact of the new industries attracted to the area over the long run will be more significant than the plant itself.
Greenhouses are one business the economic development foundation is working to attract.
The steam could be used for heating greenhouses before being recycled to be used in the power plant. Several greenhouse operations have expressed interest in the site including one operation that would employ 300 people. Another byproduct of the plant that could result in spinoff businesses is fly ash, a byproduct of coal that could be used in a number of different industries. It can be used in sheetrock, concrete, cement, and for landfills, erosion control and road construction. Reid said that fly ash could save a considerable amount of money for road construction because the fly ash is less expensive than gravel.