The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) has issued a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) for its proposed Wildcat Point Generation Facility in Conowingo, Maryland, US.
The $675m Wildcat Point facility is expected to boost the regional economy, enhance reliability on the region’s electric grid, and also help ODEC deliver cleaner, cost-effective power to its 1.2 million customers in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware.
Specifically, the combined-cycle natural gas generation facility is expected to generate approximately 1,000MW of electricity, enough to power roughly 390,000 homes each year.
ODEC president and CEO Jackson Reasor said the PSC’s decision is an important win for the company’s members and for the region’s energy future.
"As demand for electricity has grown in ODEC-served areas, constructing a state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly power generation facility became a critical priority," Reasor added.
"Wildcat Point will enable us to provide our members cost-effective, locally produced power while reducing reliance on costlier electricity bought on the market."
The PSC’s decision follows a rigorous, 11-month review of ODEC’s proposal by the local, state, regional, and federal agencies.
Wildcat Point is scheduled to be built on existing property at the ODEC constructed Rock Springs Generation Facility, which became operational in 2003.
Construction is expected to start in late 2014 or early 2015, while commercial operation will start in 2017.