
Calpine (NYSE:CPN) has proposed building a roughly 309-MW gas-fired power unit in the Garrison Oak Technological Park in Dover, Del.
It’s a site that could later accommodate an additional 309-MW power unit, the company said. Environmental permitting, site development planning and development engineering are underway, said a Calpine spokesperson.
PJM’s system impact study for the first phase and the feasibility study for the second phase have been completed. Both studies are being reviewed internally, Calpine said in a recent filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).
Calpine said the Garrison power plant would use highly efficient combined-cycle technology with advanced environmental controls. Combined-cycle technology requires 40% less fuel per MWH than older plants, Calpine said.
Calpine said in a statement that it would own 100% of the facility. Phase 1 is targeted for commercial operation in mid-2015.
About 250 craft labor jobs would be required during peak construction, Calpine said. Once operational, about 16 staff members are expected to be employed at the plant full-time.
In its initial statement, released in March, Calpine did not reveal a cost estimate other than saying it would represent a capital investment of hundreds of millions dollars.
The new power plant should encourage the expansion of new natural gas infrastructure in the Dover area via the construction of a six-mile pipeline expansion, improving natural gas availability for others in the region.
Calpine describes itself as the largest independent power producer in the U.S., with a fleet of 93 power plants representing more than 28,000 MW of generation capacity.