Tenaska, Lebanon Project Under Review

Nine new natural gas-fired power plants are planned in Pennsylvania, more than making up for the loss of power generation caused by the retirement of 12 old coal-burning power plants, according to state regulators. But industry analysts say lower power demand and uncertainty over natural gas prices will likely keep more than half of the new gas-burning power plants on the drawing board and out of operation, at least for the foreseeable future. State Department of Environmental Protection data show the proposed gas-burning facilities undergoing permit review will have a total electricity generating capacity of a little less than 8,000 MW, while the 12 coal-fired power plants scheduled for shutdown by April 2015 have a capacity of just under 4,000 MW. Doug Biden, executive director of the Electric Power Generation Association, said, "Just because they've applied for a permit doesn't mean those plants will be built. The companies get into the permitting line because it's a time-consuming process, but, historically, only about 30 percent of what's in those construction queues gets built. And unless there is a serious uptick in [coal-fired] retirements, I doubt we'll see all of those on the current permit list."

Mike Roth, director of development for Tenaska, an independent electric power production company that has proposed building gas-fired facilities in Westmoreland and Lebanon counties, said both remain active in the permitting process but the company hasn't found a buyer for the 900 MW each would produce.

Tenaska, , is developing a site in north Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on which to construct and operate a state-of-the-art electric generating facility. Fueled by clean-burning natural gas, the plant would bring hundreds of construction jobs, many permanent well-paying jobs, and power to meet the growing demand for electricity in the region.

Tenaska builds, owns and operates environmentally responsible electric generating facilities. Its reputation is sound. Three of Tenaska’s plants have received “Project of the Year” honors from industry sources. In 2012 benchmarking studies, the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national environmental advocacy group, ranked Tenaska as one of the top performing U.S. energy companies for controlling air emissions.

Economic Impact

If built in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, the facility would:

The Tenaska Central Alabama Generating Station near Billingsley, Ala., is an 885-megawatt combined-cycle facility nearly as large as that proposed for Lebanon County, Pa. Generating units would be enclosed in a building at the Lebanon County facility. The Alabama facility contributes more than $4 million annually in salaries and payments to local contractors and vendors.