Southern Power said that, the plant will, in part, provide electric power to the company’s wholesale customers through long-term contracts with two North Carolina power companies, North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC) and North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1).
The generating plant to be owned and operated by Southern Power will consist of four Siemens F-Class gas turbine units and will be able to generate approximately 720MW at the summer peak.
According to Southern Power, the units will be built on a portion of the 275-acre site, leaving the potential for future expansion. Initial construction is expected to begin in 2010, with commercial operation of all four units expected in early 2012.
Ronnie Bates, president of Southern Power, said: “This project will serve the growing electricity needs in this region for many years. Southern Power has a proven track record of providing reliable, competitively priced energy to our customers throughout the Southeast.”
Southern Power is a wholesale energy provider in the Southeast, meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities. It currently owns and operates more than 7,700 megawatts of generation assets in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina, claims the company.
