The Public Utility Commission has just given Entergy Texas approval to construct a new power plant southeast of Grimes County. And Entergy’s senior communications specialist says it’s about time.
Since they have not built a new generating station since 1979, Kacee Kirschvink says plans call for the new combined-cycle natural gas facility to be built next to Entergy’s current Montgomery County plant in Willis, adding nearly a million more watts of power for the growing number of Entergy customers in our neck of the woods.
Although technically it will go on the grid to be used by anyone in Texas, Kirschvink tells Navasota News that additional power will primarily be targeted to Entergy customers in Southeast Texas, say Navasota to the Louisiana Border.
And, she adds, that won’t be the only thing the new facility will bring. There’ll be a huge economic benefit, too, It’s estimated that this plant and it’s construction, Kirschvink claims, will generate one billion dollars in economic activity, including more than 300 million dollars in worker earnings 7,000 direct and indirect jobs from the construction.
But it’ll be awhile before it comes to pass, however. Kirschvink says ground isn’t scheduled to be broken for the new Montgomery County Power Station until 2019, with completion expected sometime in 2021.