Whistleblower says utility should repay $382 million in federal aid given to failed clean coal plant

By JEFF AMY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A former employee is suing to force a Mississippi utility to repay $382 million to the federal government. The money was meant to aid a failed coal-fueled power plant. Kelli Williams filed the lawsuit. She’s a former construction manager who worked on the $7.5 billion Kemper County power plant for Southern Co. Williams says Southern and its subsidiary Mississippi Power Co. lied repeatedly about the plant’s cost overruns and spiraling delays. She says those lies kept subsidy payments coming from the U.S. Department of Energy. Southern Co. is declining to comment. If Williams wins, the company could be forced to pay triple damages, or more than $1.1 billion. Williams would be entitled to a share of any money.