American Municipal Power of Ohio delighted many people in Meigs County when the wholesale electricity supplier for 122 cities and towns in five states announced the construction of a $1.2 billion coal-fired power plant in the village of Letart Falls. The Athens Messenger proclaimed in a headline: ''It's a miracle.'' County officials applauded the prospect of 150 permanent jobs and as many as 800 temporary construction jobs. Meigs suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

Of late, AMP-Ohio has been navigating the lengthy and complex approval process. Among other things, the wholesale supplier of electricity has been pursuing long-term contracts with its member communities as part of arranging financing for the 1,000 megawatt project. It has included a reminder about the care behind the decision to go forward. In 2002, the organization crafted a strategic plan that called for adding substantially to its generation capacity and thus lowering its profile in the wholesale market.

Not everyone is happy with the proposal. Environmental groups have howled, even visited AMP-Ohio communities to argue the organization has erred. The likes of the National Resources Defense Council contend there are better choices, environmentally and economically. As it is, their criticisms largely miss the mark. They also suggest a hard truth about combating climate change.

Wouldn't it be swell if AMP-Ohio in seeking to add such base load could choose from an array of green-friendly alternatives, including wind and solar? That isn't the case. The options are limited, providing insight into why coal and nuclear supply much of the country's electricity. So the landscape will remain for years, even decades.

Might AMP-Ohio have selected a cleaner coal plant? Environmental groups prefer Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC). The technology carries much promise. It remains largely unproved, and it doesn't conform as easily with shifts in base demand. More, AMP-Ohio hardly has opted for a chump. The organization has tapped the Powerspan Corp. of New Hampshire to install an emissions-control system called Electro-Catalytic Oxidation. The result will be the cleanest coal-fired plant in the state by far in reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury.

If anything, AMP-Ohio deserves credit for embracing a cutting-edge technology, and one with a track record longer than the IGCC alternative.

Environmental groups correctly note that the plant annually will generate roughly 7.3 million tons of carbon dioxide, the primary culprit in global warming. Unfortunately, there isn't yet a technology capable of reducing such emissions. The good thing is, the AMP-Ohio plant will be designed to accommodate such an advance when it arrives. The Clean Air Act calls for power plants to implement the best available technology for curbing harmful emissions. Too often, power companies have ducked and dodged in meeting the requirement. By comparison, AMP-Ohio has stepped up in a big way.