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Richmond County Plant
Current and projected electric load in the Sandhills and throughout southern and eastern North Carolina continue to grow. Progress Energy Carolinas’ continuous assessment of electric system requirements has identified the need to add a new electric generation plant at the company’s Richmond County Energy Complex south of Hamlet, as well as new electric transmission to transport electricity where it is needed. Progress Energy has a state-mandated responsibility to ensure a continued reliable supply of electric service to homes and businesses throughout the region, which requires that resource planning begin many years in advance of anticipated needs.
Progress Energy plans to invest an estimated $600 million to build the new generation unit, purchase additional natural gas capacity to fuel the plant and extend electric transmission capacity between the power plant and eastern North Carolina. The investment is part of Progress Energy’s balanced solution for meeting future energy needs – a solution that includes energy efficiency, investments in renewable energy technologies and state-of-the-art power plants and energy-delivery systems.
The power plant addition, a combined-cycle unit of approximately 600 megawatts, will be built on property the company already owns south of Hamlet. The site, Progress Energy Carolinas’ third-largest, already contains 1,287 megawatts of generation capacity fueled primarily with natural gas. The site began operation in 2001. The new unit is expected to begin commercial operation in mid-2011.
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