The Kentucky Public Service Commission has announced that it will review the cost and the need for Eastern Kentucky Power Cooperative’s proposed coal-fire power plant in southern Clark County, Kentucky because, for all intents and purposes, it’s a bad idea.

Here’s a summary of the actions taken by the PSC, via press release:

• Opened an investigation into the need for and cost of the 278-megawatt Smith 1 unit, a coal-fired plant to be built at EKPC’s Smith Station in Trapp.
• Closed a complaint case against Smith 1 filed by three individual customers of rural electric distribution cooperatives that buy power from EKPC and made those customers parties to the investigation case.
• Approved EKPC’s request to withdraw its application to incur up to $921 million in new debt to pay for Smith 1.
• Made Gallatin Steel Co., an intervenor in the financing case, a party to the investigation case. Gallatin Steel is the largest single retail customer in the EKPC system.
• Denied requests from three environmental organizations and one additional customer to participate in the financing case, but noted that they could assist the three customers who were made parties to the investigation.