Guthrie said he became interested in locating the plant in Kanab after buying a ranch north of the city. He’s hoping a proposed nearby mine would provide the needed coal. Alton Coal Co., has been granted permits to start mining high-quality coal on private property it owns near the town of Alton.
In late October, the Kanab City Council approved a zoning change on 10 acres of land in the southern end of the city for Guthrie to start construction of the plant he hopes to complete as early as June. Guthrie said the plant would be built on land leased from the state’s School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA). Guthrie said the plant would require as many as 60 construction workers and be staffed by eight researchers. Salt Lake Tribune
