Work starts on natural gas-fired generating plant
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Work is underway on a Tennessee Valley Authority project to build a $975 million natural gas-fired electrical generating plant in Memphis.
The Commercial Appeal (bit.ly/1OiTGue) reports the new plant will replace an aging coal-burning facility nearby.
When finished in mid-2018, the new plant will produce enough power for 580,000 homes.
Dan Tibbs, who is managing the project for TVA, says the project is on schedule and on budget.
It’s touted as one of the largest construction projects in the city’s history.
The newspaper reports that compared to the coal-burning facility, the gas facility will emit nearly 90 percent less nitrogen-oxide pollution, a precursor to smog and ground-level ozone, and will release 60 percent less carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.
Discharges of sulfur dioxide, the compound blamed for acid rain, will be virtually eliminated.
