BEAUMONT, Texas, July 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its plan
to meet growing demand across Southeast
Texas and modernize its generation fleet, Entergy Texas,
Inc. has begun the process to seek approval to construct the Orange
County Advanced Power Station, a 1,215-megawatt, dual fuel combined
cycle power facility. The plant will be located near Bridge City, Texas and will be capable of
powering more than 230,000 homes and use a combination of natural
gas and hydrogen. Hydrogen produces zero carbon emissions as a fuel
source for electric generation.
"The Orange County Advanced Power Station is a Texas project for Texas customers," said Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy
Texas. "The addition of this facility will continue our work to
provide reliable, low-cost and clean energy in Southeast Texas and will provide more than
$1.5 billion in net benefits to
customers by reducing reliance on energy markets."
An outside economic impact analysis by TXP, Inc. found that the
construction and operation of the Orange County Advanced Power
Station will play a major role in creating jobs and driving
increased economic activity. Estimates indicate that construction
will provide more than 7,000 direct jobs in Texas and nearly $1.8
billion in economic activity for the regional economy. Once
operational, the plant will provide approximately 27 permanent
direct jobs in Texas.
In addition to meeting current customer needs across
Southeast Texas, the Orange County
Advanced Power Station will be built with a focus on long-term
sustainability in an economy where many stakeholders and customers
are focused increasingly on decarbonization. The plant's ability to
be powered by hydrogen, which emits no carbon dioxide, supports its
long-term viability for customers and the Southeast Texas community. Hydrogen is widely
used today in industrial processes, including by a number of
Entergy Texas's large industrial customers. The fuel can be stored
nearby in facilities such as in Entergy Texas's Spindletop storage
facility and can be deployed alongside natural gas to produce lower
emissions energy reliably when needed, including working in hours
when intermittent renewable resources do not generate
power.
"Southeast Texas is
well-positioned to play a key role in the transition to increased
use of hydrogen in electric generation," said Rainer. "Our region
is home to hydrogen producers, pipelines, storage and industrial
users. We look forward to working with industry partners on the
role the Orange County Advanced Power Station will play in
providing reliable power while also meeting the sustainability
needs of our customers and communities, and also to establish
Southeast Texas as a global hub
for hydrogen production and consumption."
Within the coming months, Entergy Texas intends to file a
request for approval to construct the Orange County Advanced Power
Station with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. If the Public Utility Commission
approves Entergy Texas's application, construction will begin in
the second quarter of 2023. Entergy Texas expects the plant to be
in service by summer 2026.
About Entergy Texas
Entergy Texas, Inc.
provides electricity to approximately 473,000 customers in 27
counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, an
integrated energy company engaged in electric power production,
transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers
electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the
cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity,
including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in
New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy
has annual revenues of $10 billion
and approximately 12,500 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and
follow @Entergy on social media.
entergytexas.com
Twitter: @EntergyTX
Facebook: Facebook.com/EntergyTX
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SOURCE Entergy Corporation