On Tuesday, the 2016 Peabody Energy Clean Coal Awards was presented at Power-Gen International Orlando. The Kemper County plant was named a Carbon Capture, Use and Storage Pioneer by Peabody, which is the largest private-sector coal company in the world. The release stated that the judges applauded the facility for its innovation in areas such as ash removal and (carbon dioxide separation), noting that “the technology holds great promise to future electric power plants.” The Kemper County plant, which has a capacity of 582 megawatts, will use Transport Integrated Gasification technology. This technology was developed by Mississippi Power’s parent, Atlanta-based Southern Co. and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 65%. Peabody stated that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data was used to determine the best emissions rates and efficiency. This results in a smaller carbon footprint. Mississippi Power stated that Kemper will be fully powered by lignite in early 2017. The plant has been running on natural gas since 2014. Mississippi Power’s chief executive officer Anthony Wilson spoke earlier in the day to Power-Gen International about the Kemper County Energy facility’s progress.