State commission approves power plant in El Paso

EL PASO, TX – A project to build a new gas-fired power generation unit, which would be extracted using the fracking technique, continues to move forward in El Paso.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approved in Austin, TX, El Paso Electric’s (EPE) application for the construction of Newman Unit 6, a state-of-the-art natural gas generation replacement unit.

According to the company, this new unit will help meet the growing energy demand of customers in the region.

According to EPE, the construction of Newman 6 is intended to replace three aging natural gas units and help balance out the additional renewable energy resources being added.

The power company, which serves West Texas and Southern New Mexico, expects others to approve the project to begin construction, scheduled for 2021.

“We are pleased with the PUCT’s decision as it reaffirms our plan to continue meeting the growing energy demands of our community,” said Kelly Tromblin, CEO of El Paso Electric.

He pointed out that Newman’s construction, planned to start in the first half of 2021 and enter into operation on May 2023 also adds to the implementation of a solar energy and battery project that represents “a true energy transformation”.

Source: Diario.mx