Montana Company Seeks to Dispose of Coal Plant

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — PPL Montana is seeking parties to buy or dispose of the pieces of its shuttered coal-fired power plant in Billings including 74 acres along the Yellowstone River.

The company posted a notice Tuesday offering up the J.E. Corette Steam Electric Station for "acquisition, disposal or other alternative use."

The offer includes the plant site, its steam boiler, turbine and other equipment.

The 153-megawatt plant operated from 1968 until last month. It will be decommissioned beginning in August.

PPL blamed the closure on the high cost of upgrades needed to comply with new restrictions on mercury pollution. The restrictions go into effect Wednesday and have helped drive a wave of coal plant closures across the U.S.

PPL also is spinning off its ownership interest in the 2,100-megawatt Colstrip plant to a new corporation, Talen Energy.