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Press Releases
ODEC Announces Purchased Power Agreements With Pennsylvania Wind Project & Delaware Landfill Gas Generation Facility
Glen Allen, VA (May 17, 2010) - Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) has announced that it is adding purchased power agreements from two additional renewable energy facilities to its portfolio of resources: a Pennsylvania wind project and a landfill gas generation project in Delaware.
Under separate purchased power agreements, ODEC and Hughesville, Md.-based Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) have agreed to purchase the energy and associated environmental attributes for the next 18 years from the Stony Creek Wind Project near Somerset, Pa. The project – which began commercial operation in 2009 and has a nameplate capacity of 52.5 megawatts (MW) – is owned and operated by E.ON Climate and Renewables (EC&R).
The agreement was facilitated by the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO), an entity that acts as a clearinghouse for large-scale renewable projects. NRCO is owned by 24 power supply and distribution cooperatives throughout the United States. Both ODEC and SMECO are founding members of NRCO.
ODEC has also finalized a purchased power agreement with Ameresco, an energy service company, for 1 MW of energy and associated environmental attributes from a landfill gas generation power plant in Sussex County, Del. ODEC is buying the output of an expansion of an existing landfill gas to energy plant that Ameresco developed and operates under contract with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA).
"We are pleased that ODEC had the opportunity to add the Stony Creek Wind Project and the Sussex County landfill generation facility to our portfolio of purchased power resources," said Jackson E. Reasor, ODEC President and CEO. "Our mission is to continue to build and diversify our sources of power supply to assure that the over 500,000 consumer-members of our 11 member electric distribution co-ops throughout the Mid-Atlantic region have the reliable and affordable electricity they need for their homes, farms and businesses now and for decades to come."
In addition to its purchased power contracts with the Stony Creek Wind Project and the Sussex County landfill generation facility, ODEC has similar contracts with the Armenia Mountain Wind Farm Project in Pennsylvania, with the Criterion Wind Power Project under construction in Garrett County, Md., with a landfill gas generation project in Worcester County, Md., and a hydroelectric facility in Bath County, Va.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative Announces Purchase of Properties for Proposed Cypress Creek Power Plant
Glen Allen, Va. (May 6, 2010) – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) announced today that it has exercised options to purchase nearly 1,600 acres of property in the Town of Dendron and Surry County, Va. as a possible site for its proposed Cypress Creek Power Station.
The major portion of the property involved in the transactions was the original site of the Surry Lumber Company which operated from 1885 until its closing in 1927, according to C. David Hudgins, ODEC's director of member and external relations.
"The purchase of this property in Dendron and Surry County is further evidence of ODEC's commitment to continue to pursue our goal of building the Cypress Creek Power Station and to provide a reliable source of affordable electricity to meet Virginia's growing energy needs," Hudgins said. "It is also demonstrates our commitment to the citizens of Dendron and Surry County to be a true partner in helping to create needed job opportunities and boost tax revenues for both localities."
ODEC had held options to purchase 1,531 acres from Mussel Forks Farm, LLC and an adjoining 10 acres from a local resident since announcing its interest in locating the Cypress Creek project in January 2008. In February 2010, the Dendron Town Council and the Surry Board of Supervisors approved zoning and conditional use requests recommended by the Surry County Planning Commission that permits the construction of a power generation facility on the property.
The total purchase price for the properties was $14,254,800, Hudgins said. In addition to the property purchased as a possible site for the Cypress Creek project, ODEC also purchased 4.1 acres on the James River at Cobham Wharf in Surry County as the proposed site for the project's water intake facility. Purchase price for this property was $1,117,428, Hudgins added.
As part of the permitting process for the proposed Cypress Creek project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is evaluating the potential impacts of the project in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). While the Dendron property has been designated by ODEC as the preferred site for the proposed power station, ODEC also plans to exercise its option to purchase a 1,222 acre site in Sussex County, Va. as a potential alternative location. ODEC plans to complete the purchase of the Sussex County property within the next 90 days, Hudgins said.
More than 50 permits and approvals from various state and federal agencies are required before a site for the Cypress Creek project is chosen and construction can begin. The COE is the lead federal permitting agency responsible for conducting a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the NEPA process. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is serving as a cooperating agency. The EIS and other relevant contributing factors will determine which of the two sites is ultimately chosen for construction of the proposed Cypress Creek Power Station.
Both sites were chosen for final assessment after ODEC conducted an extensive five-year siting study of potential locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. The study found that these two sites meet important criteria such as a large footprint and access to transmission lines and rail transportation. For more information about the project, please visit www.cypresscreekpowerstation.com.
Cypress Creek Power Station Receives Local Land Use Approval
In early February, the Dendron Town Council, the Surry Board of Supervisors and the Sussex Board of Supervisors each voted to approve the rezoning and land use requests required for the siting of the proposed Cypress Creek Power Station. This was an important first step in the multi-year process to permit, license and build this generation facility.
Each of these governing bodies acted upon the recommendations of their respective planning commissions and after nearly two years of discussion, public comment and research on this issue carefully weighed all of the information presented before granting their decisions.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative is gratified and humbled by the votes of confidence taken by the Dendron Town Councils and the Boards of Supervisors of Surry and Sussex Counties. The citizens of each of these localities can be proud of the diligence and the thoughtful and measured actions shown by their elected representatives in granting these requests. ODEC pledges to continue to work cooperatively with the local officials and the citizens of Dendron, Surry County and Sussex County throughout the state and federal permitting process for the building and completion of the Cypress Creek Power Station.
OLD DOMINION ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ANNOUNCES START UP OF WIND FARM
Co-op to Receive 50% of Energy Output from AES Armenia Mountain, PA Facility
Glen Allen, Va. – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) and AES Wind Generation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The AES Corporation, have announced the start of commercial operation of the Armenia Mountain wind farm in Pennsylvania.
ODEC, the primary power provider for 11 electric distribution cooperatives in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, will receive 50 percent of the electricity generated by the 101-megawatt (MW) wind farm which is located in the Pennsylvania counties of Bradford and Tioga in the north central region of the Keystone State.
AES Wind Generation developed, owns and operates the wind farm which is comprised of 67 1.5 MW GE SLE wind turbines.
"We are delighted to announce that the Armenia Mountain wind farm is up and running and producing renewable electricity to serve our member distribution cooperatives and their over 500,000 consumer-members throughout the Mid-Atlantic," said Jackson E. Reasor, ODEC president and CEO. "Our contract for the wind-generated energy from this project is part of ODEC's long-term plan to further diversify our power supply portfolio to include a variety of economically-viable conventional and renewable generation resources, such as the Armenia Mountain wind farm."
"We also wish to congratulate AES Wind Generation on their successful completion of this exciting project and look forward to its continued successful operation," Reasor added.
"We're pleased to provide wind power to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative," said Marty Crotty, president of AES Wind Generation. "We hope that the Armenia Mountain project is the first of several opportunities to work together to deliver affordable and sustainable energy."
In July 2008, ODEC signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with AES Wind Generation for 50 percent of the output of its then planned Armenia Mountain Wind Farm project. A separate agreement for 50 percent of the energy output from the wind farm was signed by Newark, Del.-based Delmarva Power. AES Wind Generation was chosen as one of the winning bidders following a request for proposals from wind generated power providers issued in early 2008.
In addition to its contract with AES Wind Power for 50 percent of the output from the Armenia Mountain Wind Farm, ODEC's portfolio of renewable generation resources also includes 100 percent of the power generated from a landfill gas-to-energy project in Worcester County, Md. and a hydroelectric project in Bath County, Va. ODEC has also signed a long-term agreement to purchase the 70 MW of energy projected to be produced by the Constellation Energy Criterion Wind Power Project to be built in Garrett County, Md.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative Adds More Wind Energy
Contract With Clipper Windpower Provides More Renewable Energy Resources
For Electric Co-ops Throughout Mid-Atlantic Region
Glen Allen,VA – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) and Clipper Windpower, Inc. (Clipper) of Carpinteria, CA have announced a long-term agreement under which ODEC will purchase the energy output and renewable energy credits (RECs) from a 70 megawatt (MW) wind energy facility currently under development by Clipper in Western Maryland’s Garrett County.
Once built, the 70 MW Criterion Wind Energy Project’s electrical output will be distributed by ODEC to the member-consumers of ODEC’s 11 member electric distribution cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. The project, which is scheduled to be completed by late 2010, will produce enough wind-generated electricity to power about 20,000 average American homes on an annual basis while helping to reduce America’s carbon footprint.
This is the second contract for wind generated power that ODEC has executed in the past 10 months and the Cooperative’s fourth contract for renewable energy signed since the beginning of 2008. In July 2008, the Cooperative entered an agreement with AES Corporation of Arlington, VA to purchase 50 MW of power from the Armenia Mountain wind project in north central Pennsylvania.
The Armenia Mountain project is scheduled to be completed and producing electricity later this year. During 2008, ODEC also added other renewable resources through energy purchase contracts from a landfill gas-to-energy project in Worchester County, MD and a hydroelectric facility in Alleghany County, VA.
"At ODEC, we are pleased with the opportunity to partner with Clipper Windpower on this exciting project," said Jackson E. Reasor, ODEC president and CEO. "The energy needs of the Mid-Atlantic region we serve continue to grow. Our long-term plan is to build and diversify ODEC’s portfolio of power supply resources so that we can continue to provide reliable and affordable electricity to our 11 member electric distribution cooperatives and their over 400,000 consumer-members."
"At Clipper, we’re delighted to support ODEC’s efforts to provide its customers with a greater mix of renewable fuels" said John Lamb, president and CEO of Clipper Windpower Development Corporation. "At about 1.5% of the U.S. energy mix, wind energy is already generating some 85,000 direct and indirect jobs, particularly in America’s hard-hit manufacturing sector, while creating revenue for farmers and rural communities, and increasing our nation’s energy security. Wind energy accounted for about 42% of the entire new U.S. electricity capacity added annually in 2008 and powers the equivalent of 2 million American households annually – ODEC and other responsible utilities are helping to fuel this trend."
While noting that as a cooperative, ODEC is not mandated to meet certain renewable energy target percentages as are some utilities, Reasor added, "Economically viable renewable resources, such as this new wind farm, are and will continue to be a component in our power supply diversification efforts along with the addition of base load generation facilities, such as ODEC’s proposed Cypress Creek Power Station, to assure that ODEC can meet the growing energy needs of our region now and in the decades to come."
ODEC AFFIRMS ELECTRICITY GENERATION SAVINGS PROJECTIONS
Project will enable consumer-members to save billions
Glen Allen, Va. (May 4, 2009) – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) today stated that it projects its consumer-members will save $14 billion, including $100 million in the first year of operation (2016), if its proposed Cypress Creek Power Station project is permitted and constructed. This is in response to what ODEC considers speculative and inaccurate claims made in a recently released report about the coal- and biomass-fueled base load generation facility it has proposed constructing to meet its consumer-members’ significantly increasing energy needs.
ODEC emphasized that projected savings for its consumer-members include the assumption of a significant carbon tax being implemented. With a projected doubling of energy demand within its Mid-Atlantic service territory during the next 10 to 20 years, ODEC reiterated that it must continue to explore a source of reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity generation for the approximately one million people it serves.
David Hudgins, director of member and external communications for ODEC, questioned what he considers to be a misleading report authored by Synapse Energy Economics, a Cambridge, Mass.-based company whose client list consists almost exclusively of renewable energy-focused organizations.
"I was surprised to see that the authors would release a report that is based almost entirely on speculation and does not take into account a significant amount of pertinent information," said Hudgins. "The lack of case-specific research not only calls into question the validity of its conclusions, but also misleads media and those who rely on news outlets for factual information."
Hudgins said that ODEC has a long and proven history of commitment to the wellbeing of the communities in which it owns, operates and/or is planning generation and transmission infrastructure.
"We continue to honor our commitment to work closely with residents of Surry and Sussex counties and others who will benefit from reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity generation that this project will provide," said Hudgins. "However, while we've had open dialogues with members of the groups that funded this report, we simply cannot stand by as they distribute misinformation about the Cypress Creek Power Station project."
Hudgins said ODEC continues to explore all options and assess the best methods of providing its consumer-members with reliable and affordable electricity in an environmentally responsible manner. This includes promoting energy efficiency and conservation, and proactively diversifying its portfolio with renewable energy sources whenever geographically, logistically and financially feasible. However, Hudgins noted that with the demand for electricity projected to continue growing significantly in ODEC's Mid-Atlantic service territory, traditional base load generation fuel sources are, and for the foreseeable future will continue to be, an essential part of the long-term solution.
Cooperatives Announce New Energy Efficiency Financing Program
Farm credit to offer loan program to assist electric cooperative members save energy
Glen Allen, Va. (March 30, 2009) – The Electric Cooperatives of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware and the Farm Credit Associations that serve these three states have joined together to encourage and assist consumers in making their homes and farms more energy efficient.
Over 800,000 people depend for their electricity on one of the 16 not-for-profit electric cooperatives that serve Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. As members of these electric cooperatives, these consumers are now immediately eligible to apply for energy efficiency loans from their local Farm Credit office.
These loans can be used for a variety of projects and purposes including upgrading windows and doors, adding insulation, replacing heating/air conditioning systems and appliances with more efficient models, as well as many other similar projects. Farm Credit has established a new web site and a new toll-free telephone number that electric cooperative members can access to be directed to their nearest Farm Credit office. The web site also includes online loan applications.
"Saving energy starts at home," said Jackson Reasor, president and CEO of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association (VMDAEC) and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC). "Electric cooperatives are dedicated to helping our members save electricity and save money on their bills. We believe that teaming with Farm Credit will make it easier for our members to get the funds they need to make their homes and farms more energy efficient."
"Farm Credit not only offers some of the lowest interest rates available, applying for an energy-efficiency loan will be quick and easy for our members," added Richard Johnstone, VMDAEC executive vice president. "And with the recent passage of the federal stimulus package, some homeowners may be eligible for tax credits that could make some of these projects even more affordable"
"Farm Credit Associations are financial cooperatives that were founded to provide funding for farmers and rural residents. Electric cooperatives exist to provide power to many of these same people. So it's a natural fit for our organizations to work together to help rural Americans meet our nation's energy challenges," said Greg Farmer, president and CEO of Colonial Farm Credit in Mechanicsville, VA. "After all, cooperation among cooperatives is one of the seven principles on which both of our organizations’ business models are based. To our knowledge, this is the first time that two cooperative businesses such as ours have joined together in a program such as this."
While the electric cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware will promote the availability of Farm Credit Energy Efficiency Loans to their consumer-members, Johnstone noted that applying for and obtaining financing for such projects through Farm Credit or any other lending institution is at the discretion of the individual member. "Our only goal in creating this referral program with Farm Credit is to give electric co-op members more financing options and make it easier to get the financing they need to make their homes and farms more energy efficient," Johnstone said.
The three Farm Credit Associations participating in the energy efficiency loan program for electric cooperative members are Colonial Farm Credit, Farm Credit of the Virginias, and MidAtlantic Farm Credit. Together they provide over $4.5 billion in loans to 32,857 members in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and a portion of Pennsylvania. The Farm Credit associations are customer-owned financial cooperatives and members of the nationwide Farm Credit System.
The 16 participating electric cooperatives are in Delaware: Delaware Electric Cooperative; in Maryland: Choptank Electric Cooperative and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO); and in Virginia: A&N Electric Cooperative, BARC Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, Community Electric Cooperative, Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC). Also in Virginia: Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Cooperative, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, and Southside Electric Cooperative. For more information, contact any participating electric cooperative or Farm Credit office.
Public Forum on Cypress Creek Power Station AIR PERMITTING PROCESS Scheduled for MARCH 18 in Dendron
Glen Allen, Va. (March 17, 2009) – Area residents are invited to attend a public forum as part of the air permitting process for Cypress Creek Power Station, the generation facility that Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) is proposing to build in Dendron, Va..
The forum will be held Wednesday, March 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Gardens on the Rolfe, which is located at 4373 Rolfe Highway, Dendron, Va. 23839.
ODEC will host the public forum and have representatives there to answer questions about the proposed Cypress Creek Power Station. Representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will also be available to answer questions about the air permitting process.
ODEC is a generation-and-transmission cooperative that provides wholesale power to 11 member electric distribution systems in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. ODEC and its member systems are not-for-profit electric cooperatives that are owned by their consumer-members. For more information, visit www.odec.com.
Public Forum on Proposed Cypress Creek Power Station Scheduled for February 26 in Dendron
Glen Allen, Va. (Feb. 12, 2009) – Area residents are invited to attend a public forum to learn more about the Cypress Creek Power Station, the generation facility that Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) is proposing to build in Dendron.
The forum will be held Thursday, February 26 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the L.P. Jackson Middle School, 4255 New Design Road in Dendron.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative will host the public forum and have representatives there to answer questions about the proposed Cypress Creek Power Station in an informal setting.
"As a not-for-profit consumer-owned cooperative, all of us at ODEC want to make sure that residents of Dendron and Surry and Sussex counties have the opportunity to learn all the facts about the proposed Cypress Creek project," said David Hudgins, ODEC’s director of member and external relations. "We are hosting this public forum so that we can meet with citizens from the area, answer their questions and address their concerns about the Cypress Creek project. We encourage everyone who can do so to attend."
Hudgins noted that ODEC will present the latest updated information on the project at the public forum in Information on the project is also available online at www.cypresscreekpowerstation.com.
ODEC is a generation-and-transmission cooperative that provides wholesale power to 11 member electric distribution systems in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. ODEC and its member systems are not-for-profit electric cooperatives that are owned by their consumer-members. For more information, visit www.odec.com
OLD DOMINION ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE SELECTS PREFERRED SITE FOR PROPOSED POWER STATION
Glen Allen, Va. (Dec. 2, 2008) – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), a not-for-profit power provider to 10 local electric cooperatives in Virginia, today announced it has selected a preferred site for a proposed base load power generation facility. Earlier this year, ODEC announced it was considering the feasibility of constructing the power station, which would use advanced-technology generation and be fueled by a mixture of coal and biomass, a form of renewable energy.
The approximately 1,600-acre preferred site is located in Dendron, Va. (Surry County). It was chosen for further assessment after ODEC conducted an extensive siting study of potential locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. The study found that this site, as well as another located in Sussex County, meets important criteria including access to transmission lines and rail transportation, and a sufficient footprint to accommodate a generation facility, while at the same time balancing these attributes with efforts to try to mitigate environmental impacts. ODEC continues to evaluate both of these sites and will continue to pursue the possibility of utilizing the Sussex County site.
David Hudgins, director of member and external communications for ODEC, said a combination of factors led the organization to consider constructing this new facility, which would be called Cypress Creek Power Station. ODEC forecasts energy demand among its consumer-members will double in the next 20 years. Further, ODEC currently purchases 55 percent of its consumer-members’ energy demand through wholesale market energy contracts. The cost of wholesale purchases has been volatile because they are driven by the price of natural gas, the cost of which has risen 75 percent during the past five years.
"The Cypress Creek Power Station will not only provide our consumer-members with safe, reliable and affordable energy, but it will also provide many significant short- and long-term economic benefits to Dendron and surrounding areas," said Hudgins. "From construction jobs to facility operations jobs and annual tax contributions, the economic benefits of this project, combined with our proven track record of responsibly managing similar operations, make this a win-win project for the local community."
ODEC will continue to work closely with local officials, businesses and residents throughout various phases of the facility’s development. In July, 2008 it launched www.odecpowerstation.com (now www.cypresscreekpowerstation.com) to help keep local citizens and others informed about this project. ODEC also plans to hold open house meetings to continue providing information and addressing any questions that local residents might have about Cypress Creek Power Station.
"Our organization has a proven track record of building power generation capacity that balances the need for additional electricity for Virginia’s future with being a responsible partner in the communities in which we operate," stated Hudgins. "We are committed to working with our consumer-members on continued efforts toward energy efficiency and peak load reduction, and focusing on the development of future generation that will provide reliable and economical electricity in an environmentally responsible and safe manner. This includes our continued examination and addition of renewable energy resources, as well as emerging technologies to address energy and environmental issues."
OLD DOMINION ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE SIGNS CONTRACT FOR WIND ENERGY
Co-op adds more renewable energy resources to meet growing needs of mid-Atlantic region.
Glen Allen, Va. (July 9, 2008) – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) and Arlington, Va.-based energy supplier AES Corporation have signed a long-term contract under which ODEC will purchase up to 70 megawatts (MW) of wind-generated power.
ODEC, the primary power provider for 12 member electric distribution cooperatives in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, will purchase the energy output and renewable energy credits (RECs) from AES’s Armenia Mountain Wind Energy Project in north central Pennsylvania. AES is a global energy company with more than 1,000 MW of wind generation in operation and more than 6,000 MW of wind projects in development throughout the world.
Plans call for the first phase of the Armenia Mountain Wind Energy Project to be completed by November 2009 and to initially produce 100.5 MW of electricity utilizing 67 General Electric 1.5sle wind turbines. ODEC and Delmarva Power of Newark, De. will each purchase 50% of the project’s output. AES may add an additional 26 turbines in a second phase of construction that would boost the output of the project to 140 MW.
AES Corporation was chosen as one of the winning bidders following a request for wind power proposals issued by ODEC and Delmarva Power earlier this year. The contractual agreement between AES and ODEC was approved by ODEC’s board of directors in June. Under the terms of the contract, delivery of wind energy and renewable energy credits to ODEC could begin as early as November 2009.
"This contract with AES for wind generated energy is part of ODEC’s long-term plan to further diversify our portfolio of power supply resources for our member distribution cooperatives and the over 500,000 consumer-members they serve," said Jackson E. Reasor, ODEC president and CEO. "Economically viable renewable resources, such as this project, will play a growing role in our power supply diversification efforts."
"We are pleased to be working with ODEC to deliver renewable wind energy to its customers in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware," said Ned Hall, AES executive vice president and president, North America. "This agreement will help drive the continued expansion of our renewable energy business, which today represents 20 percent of our global generation portfolio and is a key component of AES’s overall corporate growth strategy."
In addition to its agreement with AES for wind-generated energy, ODEC
recently announced that it had contracted to purchase 100% of the power
generated by two community-based renewable energy resources – the Worcester
County, Md. landfill gas-to-energy project and the Hydro FS hydroelectric
project in Alleghany County, Va.
OLD DOMINION ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE TO INVESTIGATE NEW ELECTRIC
GENERATION SITES IN SURRY, SUSSEX COUNTIES
Glen Allen, Va. (Jan. 2, 2008) – Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), a not-for-profit power provider to 10 local electric cooperatives in Virginia, today confirmed it is reviewing the feasibility of constructing a base load power generation facility on either a 1,600-acre site in Surry County, Va. or a 1,200-acre site in Sussex County, Va.
ODEC, which has previously built generation facilities in Halifax, Louisa and Fauquier counties in Virginia, has identified the need for a base load facility to meet the around-the-clock electricity needs of ODEC’s nearly 390,000 member-owners in Virginia. In addition to the 10 Virginia electric cooperatives ODEC provides with wholesale power, it also supplies power to an electric cooperative in Delaware and another on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
According to David Hudgins, director of member and external communications
for ODEC, a combination of factors led the organization to consider constructing
this new facility. ODEC expects the electricity needs among its member-owners
to double in the next 10 to 15 years due to economic growth in the Commonwealth.
He added that wholesale contracts help ODEC meet 55 percent of its members-owners’
energy demands. However, wholesale prices are driven by the price of natural
gas, which has risen by 75 percent during the past five years.
"With the
average cost of wholesale power purchases increasing significantly during
the past few years, and with every indication this trend will continue
in the future, there is a clear need to provide Virginians with a more
cost-efficient and predictable source of electricity through base load
generation," Hudgins explained.
"It can take eight to 10 years to bring
a new base load generation facility on-line. Consequently, we have an obligation
to take steps now to plan for long-term electricity needs," said Hudgins.
"We are in the very early stages of an 18-month environmental study to
determine if these sites are suitable to support a generation facility
and have not identified the technology or determined the optimum size of
such a generation facility."
After the preliminary environmental studies
are completed and a site is chosen, ODEC will work closely with local officials,
businesses and residents throughout various phases of the facility’s development.
ODEC also plans to hold open house meetings to explain the studies’ findings
and address any questions that local residents might have about the potential project.
"Our organization has a proven track record of building power generation
capacity that balances the need for additional electricity for our growing
Virginia economy with being a responsible partner in the communities where
we operate," stated Hudgins. "ODEC is committed to working with our member-owners
on continued efforts toward energy efficiency and peak load reduction and
is focused on developing future generation that will provide reliable and
economical electricity in an environmentally responsible and safe manner.
This includes our continued examination of renewable energy and emerging
technologies to address energy and environmental issues."
Both sites were
chosen for final assessment after ODEC conducted an extensive siting study
of potential locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. The study found that
these two sites meet important criteria such as access to transmission
lines and rail transportation, and provide a large enough footprint to
accommodate a plant without encroaching upon environmentally sensitive
areas.
