Entergy targets August to start building $869M power plant

Project to generate hundreds of jobs in Montz

In a move to increase Entergy Louisiana’s power supply for a growing market, the electricity provider expects to break ground in August for an $869 million power station in Montz.

The 980-megawatt, natural-gas fired plant is proposed to be built on land adjacent the existing Little Gypsy power plant. Plans are it will be operational by mid-2019, said company spokeswoman Amber Ferchaud.

Entergy is targeting the third quarter of this year to begin construction work pending approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission and environmental permitting necessary to move ahead with the unit.

“The project will have a substantial positive economic impact on St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes,” Ferchaud said. “Not only will the two parishes benefit from more than $980 million in increased business sales and tax collections during its construction, the project will employ approximately 700 people at the peak of activity.”

The completed St. Charles Power Station will provide 27 permanent jobs at an average yearly salary of $88,000.

“The project is expected to increase business sales in the two-parish region by more than $970 million, increase household earnings by $198 million and generate $7.9 million in sales tax collections during the construction phase,” she said.

Once the plant is operational, it will generate millions in annual tax revenue for the two parishes, Ferchaud said.

Entergy also projects the power station will add about 2,000 megawatts of power capacity by 2020, which should meet anticipated load growth, as well as replace older, inefficient units and expiring power purchase agreements.

The station “will be the most efficient fossil plant, and one of the cleanest in Entergy Louisiana’s generation fleet,” she said. “The unit’s CCGT technology is at least 30 percent more efficient than existing natural gas-fired steam driven units.”

“Because of its high efficiency, the plant is projected to save Entergy Louisiana customers more than $1.3 billion – over and above the $869 million project cost – during the 30-year life,” she said.

The plant’s advanced pollution-control systems would make it one of the cleanest in the Entergy Louisiana fleet. CCGT technology also produces more electricity, which Ferchaud said further ensures meeting customer demand in the region.

Ferchaud said the decision to build https://www.heraldguide.com/admin/articles/index.phpthe St. Charles Power Station came after considerable study to ensure the plant provided the most cost efficient power to the “supply-constrained Amite South region of southeast Louisiana.”

Entergy’s Amite South region encompasses the area east of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area to the Mississippi state line and south to the Gulf of Mexico including the New Orleans metropolitan area.