The Liberty project, which is the first power plant purposely sited in the heart of the Marcellus Shale to take advantage of low natural gas prices and transportation costs, is scheduled to begin commercial operations by early 2016.
The Panda Liberty power plant is expected to contribute an estimated $5.97bn during construction and the facility’s first 10 years of operation to the area’s economy, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said, according to a third-party economic analysis.
Panda Power Funds president and senior partner Todd Carter said, "We are investing hundreds of millions of dollars here precisely because Governor Corbett and other Commonwealth officials have been far sighted in developing Pennsylvania’s abundant natural resources."
Featuring state-of-the-art emissions-control technology, the Liberty facility will be powered by Siemens H-class gas turbines, making the facility one of the most fuel-efficient natural gas power plants in the US.
In addition to creating approximately 500 jobs during the construction phase, the plant will be create an estimated 27 skilled jobs during the active phase of the generating station to operate the facility and 45 indirect jobs within the community to support the plant.
Once operational, the generating station is expected to supply the power needs of up to 1 million homes in Pennsylvania.
