For tiny town, gamble on coal plant becomes a fiscal crisis : Business

For tiny town, gamble on coal plant becomes a fiscal crisis : Business: "Marceline and its electric utility, with only three employees, agreed in 2004 to buy almost all of its electricity from Prairie State. But the plant’s price ballooned, and along with it the cost that the city is obligated to pay. Now, Marceline is on track to lose almost $1.4 million this year, City Manager Luke Lewis said.

Even for a larger city, a loss of that size would be tough to digest. But for a rural community that’s bleeding population, it’s a full-blown financial crisis. The loss equals more than $600 for each of the city’s 2,200 residents, and more red ink is forecast for years to come.

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