GREENUP —
County officials in Greenup County plan to offer an incentive package to SunCoke Energy as part of the ongoing effort to entice the company to build a new coke plant in South Shore.
The Greenup Fiscal Court unanimously voted to approve a resolution offering the incentives on Tuesday but Greenup County Judge-Executive Bobby Carpenter declined to provide specifics due to the sensitive and ongoing nature of discussions with the company.
Officials are also worried about raising public expectations, should the company decide to locate elsewhere or delay its construction. SunCoke representatives have been meeting with local and state officials for more than five years to discuss the project, but details of the project remain a closely guarded secret. The potential site for the project is next to the MarkWest Energy along the Ohio River at South Shore.
“It is just a great, great project. It’s a project we’ve worked really hard on and that this county really needs and wants,” said Carpenter.
Greenup’s incentive package would most likely be combined with other state incentives. Lawmakers have previously crafted several pieces of legislation, such as the Incentives for Energy Independence Act.
The company shed a little light on the project in a 2011 SEC filing. “We are currently in the early stages of permitting a potential new U.S. cokemaking facility in Kentucky that we believe, if constructed, would produce up to 1.1 million tons of coke per year. We are also assessing alternative sites in other states for this project.”
The company went on to write, “We believe this potential project could serve multiple customers and also provide an opportunity to sell a portion of the production in open market sales.”
SunCoke, which completed its split from parent company Sunoco Inc. earlier this year and went public last year, opened a new 100-oven coke plant next to AK Steel’s Middletown plant in October. It is the fourth plant the company has designed, built and operated in the U.S. since 2005, including the Haverhill, Ohio plant.
In the SEC filing, SunCoke stated it believes demand from overseas markets, along with inadequate capacity and aging coke plants in the U.S. are driving its investment in new plants.
Last October, Anna Rozenich, a spokeswoman for the company, told the Middletown Journal that the company’s initial plans for the new plant is to have extra capacity to sell coke to other customers in addition to a customer contract.
Calls to SunCoke Energy seeking comment were not returned immediately returned.
CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
Local News
Incentives on tap for SunCoke
- Local News
-
-
Police beat: 5/23/13
The following information was taken from Ashland Police Department reports:
-
Local in brief: 5/23/13
A Rowan Circuit Court jury deliberated six hours here Tuesday before reporting it was hopelessly deadlocked in the case of Dallas Carpenter, 60, of Emerson in Lewis County, who was on trial for murder in the May 2010 traffic deaths of a Clearfield couple.
-
Hopefest planned in Olive Hill
It looked like a peaceful early Monday evening at J.A. “Skinny” Raybourn Park.
-
Man accused of stealing at Raceland graduation
A 59-year-old man is accused of stealing from students during Raceland-Worthington High School's graduation on Tuesday night.
-
Legion post busted for alcohol, gambling
American Legion Post 43 in Raceland is facing charges it illegally promoted gambling and sold alcohol at its clubhouse.
-
Carter considers new inmate healthcare plan
Carter County Fiscal Court met in regular session on Tuesday to consider a proposal for a change in health care providers for the jail and to conduct regular monthly business.
-
Thefts, assaults reported to APD
Second Hand Rose Furniture in the 3200 block of 13th Street reported the theft of a compact disc and an audiobook. Store workers told police they saw the man leave the store and remove the items from his pants leg outside.
-
11th annual Northeast Ky. Red Cross raffle scheduled
Tickets for the final raffle to benefit the Northeast Kentucky American Red Cross are for sale and local officials hope there will be no empty seats for their only annual fundraiser.
-
Ben Williamson bridge damaged
A temporary 10-ton weight restriction is in effect on the Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge, which brings traffic from U.S. 52 into Ashland.
-
Getting involved
A group of third-generation bricklayers is more than willing to give back to the Ashland community this week.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Police beat: 5/23/13
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
