4655 Coal Mine Road
Ione, CA
95640
United States of America
Latitude: 38.277961
Longitude: -120.914042
Formerly Jackson Valley Energy - Ione
This facility used to burn lignite coal but closed in mid-1990s. As subsidies decreased Reading Energy sought to change from paying for lignite (with subsidies) to being paid to take waste. Reading was trying to convert it into a biomass incinerator (construction and demolition waste, tires, ag waste, & contaminated soil).
In mid-1990s, a local group sued the county and won. Consequently, Reading Energy was required to produce an Environmental Impact Report. The proposed repowering of the facility is active again in 2009, with plans to repower it with "clean urban wood, agricultural byproducts from orchards and material from the forest."
Under pressure from Center for Biological Diversity Buena Vista Biomass Power was required to prepare an environmental impact statement in August 2010. This project is seeking funding from a wildlife management program of the USDA.