NTE Energy said that its affiliate NTE Carolinas II has secured the clearance from the US Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) for its 500MW combined-cycle power plant in North Carolina.

Following the Nationwide Wetlands Permit from the CoE, the power plant named as the Reidsville Energy Center has completed receipt of all the important permits that are mandatory for its construction.

In January, the Reidsville Energy Center obtained the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the North Carolina Utilities Commission.

Last month, the power plant got the Air Permit from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality – Division of Air Quality.

NTE Energy SVP Mike Green said: “The issuance of this Army Corps permit is the final permit the company needs for the Reidsville project.

“NTE is pleased to be an economic and reliable resource to our customers in North and South Carolina, especially in light of recent uncertainty in the region regarding alternative power generation projects.”

The Reidsville Energy Center to be built in Rockingham County will be a natural gas-fired electric generating facility. NTE Energy is anticipating an investment of over $500m on the power plant which is likely to create 200-300 jobs during the construction stage and 15-25 after being operational.

Initial construction of the combined-cycle power plant is slated to begin in the fourth quarter with an aim to start commercial operations in 2021.

The Reidsville Energy Center is expected to meet the power consumption needs of nearly 450,000 homes.

NTE Energy says that the Reidsville power plant is similar in both size and design to the company’s 475MW combined-cycle power plant in Cleveland County, North Carolina named as the Kings Mountain Energy Center. Currently in the construction stage, the Kings Mountain power plant is aimed to become operational in 2018 summer.