NRG is working to meet the current and future energy needs of Texas with a number of significant power initiatives.
To help support the state’s growing need for carbon-free energy, NRG has planned an expansion of its South Texas nuclear facility, which is owned in conjunction with San Antonio’s CPS Energy and Austin Energy. The addition of two new units, which will utilize NRC-Certified Advanced Boiling Water Technology, will double the current capacity of the facility. Expected to come online in 2015, the expansion will produce nearly 2,700 megawatts (MW) of electricity for the region — enough to supply more than two million households in the region.
At the Cedar Bayou Generating Station, a joint venture between NRG and EnergyCo is underway to bring 550 megawatts (MW) of clean and efficient electricity generation to the Houston region, enough to power more than 440,000 homes. The plant will utilize a flexible generating system in order to quickly respond in as little as 30 minutes to rapidly changing load conditions, such as those experienced on hot spring afternoons or icy mornings. A new natural gas-fueled combined cycle generating plant is expected to be completed in 2009 for peak summer demand.
At NRG’s Limestone Electric Generating Station, an expansion is planned to add a third generating unit to the facility. The new unit will primarily use low sulfur coal as its fuel source and use best available control technology to minimize emissions.. Further reductions of the emissions on the current units mean that there will be no increase in regulated emissions and Texas will enjoy an additional 800 MW of low-cost, stable electric generation — enough to supply approximately 640,000 households. The facility will also feature a dry cooling process to reduce its water consumption by over 80 percent. The unit is expected to be operational by 2012.
NRG, through its subsidiary, Padoma Wind Power LLC, is in advanced development to bring two wind projects to Texas. One project is expected to commence construction in the fall of 2007 while the other is scheduled to commence construction in the summer of 2008.
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