NewsWest 9
ECTOR COUNTY - A new power plant could be in Ector County's future. The proposed project has a multi-million dollar price tag.
The Permian Basin is booming but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end so Ector County Commissioners are looking ahead.
"Currently we have a couple of power plants that are active and both are very successful projects," Ector County Judge, Susan Redford, said. "To be able to add this to the mix, I think would be a tremendous asset."
Redford is talking about a new project that could be making a home in the area.
The company Invenergy is staking out a piece of land a few miles north of Goldsmith for a new natural gas power plant.
Redford said the $120 million development would have a big impact for the county, community and citizens.
"You'd be taking a piece of land that's generating minimal property taxes and put that type of facility on it so it'd be a huge boost to our tax base which would relieve some of the everyday property owner's burden," Redford said.
Invenergy already has a wind energy plant in Stanton.
With newer technology, the proposed power plant would be more advanced.
"They told us that they would actually be able to take the plant from completely dormant during non-peak electric hours to fully amped up and fully operational in an hour and a half," Redford said.
The site would bring about 100 jobs during construction. Redford said it'll also diversify the economy.
"While the oilfield has been very, very good to us over the past couple of years, it may not always be so good to us," she said. "To be able to have other industries that we can fall back on, I think is quite beneficial."
The company is requesting a tax abatement but in a competitive market, Redford said it's something they'll have to consider.
"If we don't offer them one then the next county down the line will and they're looking at several," Redford said. "We don't wanna lose a project of this caliber."
