A Texas utility that expects to convey one other 228 MW of pure gas-fired energy technology on-line in December additionally plans to start working a further 4 gas-fired models over the following a number of years, in keeping with regulatory filings.
El Paso Electrical (EPE), which offers vitality to areas in west Texas and southern New Mexico, plans to variety its technology fleet with solar energy and vitality storage, and requested proposals for renewable vitality initiatives in an Oct. 6 regulatory submitting. That submitting comes after EPE in an earlier doc stated it might add greater than 270 MW of gas-fired technology to its fleet by 2040.
EPE, which is about to start working the brand new 228-MW Unit 6 on the Newman Producing Station in El Paso by the tip of this 12 months, has stated it plans to convey 88 MW of gas-fired technology on-line in 2032. It additionally plans so as to add a 52-MW gas-fired unit in 2034, an 80-MW unit in 2038, and a 54-MW combustion turbine in 2040. The utility needs to keep up baseload technology because it retires older models, together with three on the Newman facility which are scheduled to be shuttered within the subsequent few years, together with the 82-MW Newman Unit 1 by year-end.
The utility stated its plan so as to add new gas-fired vegetation over the following decade-plus might be modified based mostly on the electrical energy wants of its prospects, in addition to “up to date technology know-how prices.” The utility earlier stated it plans for not less than 80% of its technology to be carbon-free by 2035, with a purpose of 100% carbon-free energy by 2050.
EPE final 12 months acquired about 45% of its zero-carbon energy from the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona; the utility owns 633 MW throughout three models at Palo Verde. The utility had simply lower than 1,300 MW of gas-fired technology capability in 2022.
About 3% of the utility’s energy got here from photo voltaic sources final 12 months, and EPE’s renewable vitality technology will enhance this 12 months due to the beginning of economic operation of a brand new 120-MW photo voltaic farm this summer season close to Chaparral, New Mexico. That set up additionally consists of 50 MW of battery vitality storage.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior affiliate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
