Grand Island City Council Approves Upgrade for City Power Plant - KHGI-TV/KWNB-TV/KHGI-CD-Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings

The Grand Island City Council voted Tuesday evening on whether or not to spend $42 million to upgrade a power plant.

The council voted in favor of the spending which will allow the city's 30-year-old coal-fired plant to comply with federal emissions regulations.

Councilman Mitch Nickerson said that the $42 million was a lot of money, but the city had to spend it.

The project should reduce the amount of mercury emissions by 90 percent, the hydrogen chloride/sulfur dioxide emissions by 83 percent and remove particulates of heavy metals and other toxins from plant discharges.