J.E. Corette near Billings, Mont.

Located along the Yellowstone River on the outskirts of Billings, Mont., the J.E. Corette plant has a generating capacity of 154 megawatts*.

The one-unit, coal-fired plant began commercial operation in 1968. It employs about 40 people and is owned and operated by PPL Montana LLC, a subsidiary of PPL Generation LLC.

Corette uses low-sulfur coal and a low-nitrogen oxides burner system. The plant meets Phase Two sulfur dioxide emissions standards of the Clean Air Act and Environmental Protection Agency standards for nitrogen oxides emissions. It also is compliant with Montana emissions requirements for the Billings area, which are more stringent than those of the Clean Air Act.

The plant uses one rail car's worth of coal every hour, compared to the Colstrip plant, which uses one rail car's worth of coal every five minutes.

In spring 2005, the Corette plant became the first industrial site in Montana to receive "Star" certification in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program.

The program recognizes companies that go beyond compliance to protect worker health and safety. The VPP Star certification is the highest safety recognition given within the program.

*winter capacity as of August 2006.