TL:DRNRG Energy is joining with GE Vernova and Kiewit Corp.
in a plan to build four new natural gas-fired power plants. The companies on Feb. 26 said the venture is designed to help supply the energy-intensive data center and artificial intelligence sector.“The accelerating demand for electricity in part due to GenAI [generative artificial intelligence] and the buildup of data centers means we need to form new, innovative partnerships to quickly increase America’s dispatchable generation,” said Robert J. Gaudette, executive vice president and president of NRG Business and Wholesale Operations.“
The companies said the four plants, whose exact locations were not disclosed, would serve the ERCOT wholesale market in
Texas, and the PJM wholesale market, a territory that includes 13 states in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic along with the District of Columbia. The groups said the four plants would have combined generation capacity of about 5,000 MW.The plan is to “rapidly” bring the plants online, according to the companies. “These industry leaders aim to shorten the concept-to-electron timeline, ensuring that electricity generation capacity
is quickly brought online to help meet demand,” the groups said, adding that the first facility—a 1,200-MW plant—would be expected to begin commercial operation in 2029, with the other three plans coming online through 2032.The groups said the first plant would use two GE Vernova model 7HA gas turbines. They said the 7HA, known as replicable and scalable, would “have the potential to fill a future pipeline of 10-15 GW [of generation] and expand to other areas across the U.S.”
My Thoughts 💭
AI is driving growth in so many industries. Construction and energy are showcased here. But I think natural gas plants will have a boom over the next 10 years. Cost and time makes it a reasonable solution to meet immediate power demands.