Exelon Generation broke ground on July 8 on a new low-carbon, combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) at Exelon’s Colorado Bend Generating Station in Wharton, Texas.
Senior executives from Exelon Generation were joined by others from Alstom, General Electric and Zachry. The new CCGT will provide an additional 1,000 megawatts to the existing 498 megawatt natural gas power plant. The new unit will be one of the most environmentally friendly and efficient CCGTs in the state and the nation, using General Electric’s most advanced gas turbine technology and an air cooling system, eliminating the use of water to cool the unit, according to Exelon.
Construction of the new unit is a part of Exelon Generation’s ongoing growth strategy and will allow the company to offer more low-carbon electricity to the growing Texas market. The new unit at Colorado Bend is one of two new CCGTs the company is developing in Texas. The other 1,000 megawatt CCGT will be constructed at Exelon’s existing Wolf Hollow Generating Station in Granbury. Both units are expected to achieve commercial operation in 2017. No cost on the upgraded or new plant was announced.
“Exelon is a forward-looking company, and what we see is a clean energy future that includes this kind of new technology, which uses little water and produces few emissions while generating electricity at a very low cost,” said Ken Cornew, president and CEO, Exelon Generation. “We’re delighted to be the first to employ this GE technology, and we’re delighted to do it in Texas. This is how Exelon sees the energy future of America – clean, affordable and efficient.”
Exelon Corp., headquartered in Chicago, (NYSE: EXC) is an energy provider, with 2014 revenues of approximately $27.4 billion.
