SWEPCO announces new power generation projects in Texas

HALLSVILLE —SWEPCO (Southwestern Electric Power Company) has announced the development of new power generation projects in the ArkLaTex.
Brett Mattison, SWEPCO’s President and Chief Operating Officer, said that the future growth of new technologies and continued service to SWEPCO customers are priorities that will require a diverse generation portfolio. “Today’s announcement helps deliver on our commitment to delivering reliable, affordable, and dispatchable power whenever and wherever it is needed,” said Mattison.

The company states that they expect the two new natural gas facilities in Texas to help meet their customers’ energy demands and provide them with cost-effective energy. The proposed natural gas projects include a 450-MW plant at a decommissioned facility in Hallsville, Texas, pending regulatory approval from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas regulators. The plant will feature G.E. combustion gas turbine generators, and will reuse existing water intake structures and other infrastructure at the site. The second is a 1,053-MWm, natural gas conversion project at the Welsh Power Plant northwest of Cason, Texas. The initiative will convert the existing coal-fired boilers to natural gas. Our news partner, KETK, reports that SWEPCO has also made a short-term agreement with a natural gas facility in Texas. Mattison said the company is excited to bring new life to the Hallsville site and extend the service of the Welsh plant.

Natural gas currently accounts for almost half of the nation’s electric generation needs, and SWEPCO’s generation projects are helping to diversify their fleet. “By investing in these energy projects, we are creating local jobs and supporting our workforce, while providing the reliable power that businesses and families depend on,” said Texas State Representative Jay Dean. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the two SWEPCO natural gas plants are a key component to meet Texas’s growing power needs.