Energy Center meets with local residents
Randy Bird talks to Bay City area residents and answers their questions at a White Stallion Energy Center meeting.
Print- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
Post a Comment
- •
Favorite- •
Robert Lee is concerned about the environment.
That is why the retired certified public account attended the public information meeting for White Stallion Energy Center on Tuesday night.
“It seemed to me that there were no real specific or clear answers to some of the questions asked,” he said.
Lee moved from Houston to Selkirk development near Matagorda beach and is concerned over the environmental impact the plant will bring to the area.
“Had I known there was going to be a coal plant, I probably would have looked somewhere else,” he said.
The public information meeting was hosted by the Bay City Independent School District on Tuesday for the 1,320 megawatt, base-load, solid fueled electric power generating station to be located in Matagorda County.
The 1,200-acre tract will be located on the east side of the Colorado River, about 10 miles south of Bay City.
After a ten minute presentation and a question and answer session with Randy Bird, chief executive officer for the energy plant, residents were able to meet with representatives from the energy center including consultants, developers and designers for the proposed energy plant.
Each representative was able to answer questions regarding transportation, environmental performance, water usage, economic growth and employment.
“There are three things that must be completed before moving forward with the project,” said Bird.
To move forward with the project, the energy center must have the final cost of the construction, obtain the air permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and a water contract, he said.
Information from the contested hearing on the air permit will be released in July, he said.
“This is where the judge will hand down the proposal for decision on the contested case hearing for the air permit,” he said.
The group is currently in negotiations to obtain a water contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority.
To ensure there will be enough water for everyone, in times of drought, the plant will build an $8 million closed pipe from LCRA’s Bay City Pumping Station on Route 35 to the energy plant.
“This will reduce the facility’s operational water requirement by one-third,” he added.
The onsite reservoir will hold up to a five day supply of water, he said.
Those opposed to the project stood outside the high school auditorium passing out information about the dangers of having a coal plant in the area.
Construction of the plant will require about 1,500 workers during its four-to-five year construction phase and create about 200 permanent jobs in the area.
The project, once operational, is expected to contribute $20 million in annual taxes to the area, with approximately $12 million in taxes filtering to the Bay City Independent School District, $2.5 million going to the Matagorda County government and $1.5 million for the Matagorda County Hospital District each year.