By Margaret Toal
For the Record
Construction begins on new Orange County Entergy plant
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Last updated 4/25/2023 at 7:14pm
Governor Greg Abbott was a featured guest Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new $1.8 billion Entergy power plant outside of Bridge City. About 200 people attended the ceremony. Posing for the groundbreaking are, left to right, are Public Utilities Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty, Public Utilities Chair Peter Lake, Public Utilities commissioners Kathleen Jackson and Lori Cobbs, Entergy utility operations president Rod West, Governor Abbott, Entergy Texas president and CEO Eliecer Viamontes, Entergy Corporation president and CEO Drew Marsh, and executive vice president and COO Pete Norgeot.
Governor Greg Abbott and officials with the Texas Public Utilities Commission were among the dignitaries attending the groundbreaking ceremony for Entergy's new $1.8 billion power plant outside Bridge City.
The new plant will use a combination of hydrogen and natural gas to generate electricity. It will be known as the Orange County Advanced Power Station and be next to the Sabine Power Plant, which was built more than 60 years ago.
The construction of the plant is estimated to bring 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to Entergy Texas. The plant will have 26 permanent jobs. The company will work to use local contractors and vendors on the project.
One of the big features of the new generating plant will be the use of hydrogen, which is less expensive and cleaner than all natural gas. The company expects to save up to $100 million in natural gas fuel costs in the first year of operation. Those savings will be passed on to Entergy customers by having less fuel cost additions to monthly bills.
"Facilities like the Orange County Advanced Power Station will ensure that reliable power is available in Southeast Texas for generations to come," Governor Abbott said.
The new plant will produce 1,215 megawatts of electricity a year, enough to power 230,000 residences, Entergy said in a press release.
The amount of electricity will be needed as the region experiences a major industrial boom, including the new $8.5 billion Golden Triangle Polymers Plant in Orange.
The construction projects for petrochemical plants and oil refineries in the region are bringing in thousands of workers to the area. Besides the plants needing electricity, the workers will need power for their houses, RVs, apartments, or hotels.
"This groundbreaking marks the start of an exciting opportunity to serve the growing demand across Southeast Texas," said Eliecer Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. "By investing in modern and fuel-efficient technology, we can meet the needs of our customers today while laying the foundation for future growth across our region."
A consortium of Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc., Sargent & Lundy, and The Industrial Company will provide Entergy Texas with engineering, procurement, and construction services.
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