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EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Gas Permit for West Texas Power Plant; $104 million in economic development and increased jobs

Release Date: 08/06/2014
Contact Information: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, [email protected] or 214 665-2200.

DALLAS – (Aug. 6, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final greenhouse gas (GHG) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) construction permit to the Invenergy Thermal Development LLC, Ector County Energy Center, Ector County, Texas. The company plans to construct a new simple-cycle power generation facility.

“Facilities like Invenergy’s show Texas can provide power while cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “Taking advantage of clean-burning natural gas is a win for business and the environment.”

The company will construct two natural gas-fired simple-cycle combustion turbines at a new facility in Goldsmith, TX, near Odessa. The facility will house a natural gas-fired dew point heater, a fire water pump engine, and circuit breakers. Once completed, the turbines will provide 165 megawatts of electricity. The expansion will bring $104 million in economic development to the local area.

In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specify that beginning on Jan. 2, 2011, projects that increase GHG emissions substantially will require an air permit.

EPA believes states are best equipped to run GHG air permitting programs. Texas is working to replace the federal implementation plan with its own State program, which will eliminate the need for businesses to seek air permits from EPA. This action will increase efficiency and allow industry to continue to grow in Texas.

EPA has finalized 51 GHG permits in Texas, proposed an additional four permits, and currently has 11 additional GHG permit applications under development in Texas.

For all of the latest information on GHG permits in Texas please visit: https://yosemite.epa.gov/r6/Apermit.nsf/AirP

EPA is taking a variety of actions to cut Greenhouse Gas emissions and address the impacts of climate change. Most recently, EPA released a Clean Power Plan for existing power plants to cut carbon pollution by 30 percent below 2005 levels. Learn more about EPA’s actions at https://www.epa.gov/climatechange/.

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