BUSINESS MEMO: NEW POWER PLANT?

Duke Energy North America, a Houston, Texas-based company, is looking at the Calvert City, Ky., area for a $200 million, peak-energy power plant to generate electricity for sale to other utilities.

The plant would create 250 construction jobs and eventually employ 15 people in high-tech jobs.

Duke sells wholesale power to utilities and cities that market retail electricity.

Duke Energy North America operates five plants in Connecticut and California and has another five under construction in Ohio, Indiana, Maine, Texas and Arizona. Duke Energy is also affiliated with Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI) on the St. Francis Power Plant, completed last year near Glennonville.

Last year, Duke announced plans for the same type of facility in Missouri. The company looked at sites in the Marble Hill area of Bollinger County before selecting a site in Audrain County.

If Duke approves the Kentucky plan, construction could start in June 2001.