Biomass power plant goes on line in Texas

The 100-megawatt plant, which occupies a 165-acre tract in northeast Texas near Sacul, will be fueled by non-merchantable wood waste. This is a combination of wood-based biomass fuels consisting primarily of saw mill or other wood mill production waste, forest waste, pre-commercial thinnings of cultivated trees, and diseased and other non-commercial tree species. There is also the potential for the use of urban wood waste, tree limbs and branches produced by storms and other non-commercial logging-derived biomass.

"Today we recognize Southern Company's on-time, on-budget completion of the nation's largest biomass-fueled power plant," said Thomas A. Fanning, Southern’s president and CEO. "This is an important milestone for the community, the city of Austin and Southern Company, as the plant provides jobs and economic impact for Nacogdoches County and further diversifies the fuel portfolios of Austin Energy and Southern Company to strengthen our nation's energy independence."

For the local community, the Nacogdoches Generating Facility represents a capital investment of about a half-billion dollars. The facility will deliver $58 million in taxes to the county over a 20-year period and direct and indirect job impact of approximately $5.1 million per year. The plant created more than 1,000 craft jobs at the height of construction and is providing 40 permanent positions. Additionally, some 100 service contracts have been created for operating and maintaining the plant and another 25 for fuel supplies.

The Nacogdoches Generating Facility uses the newest technology available, including a bubbling fluidized-bed boiler that will give Southern Power the flexibility to use a wide range of biomass fuels and keep emissions low.