Upbeat Report on Proposed Renovo Energy Center
LOCK HAVEN – Officials from the Renovo Energy Center (REC) reported progress this week on the $800 million gas-to-electric power plant planned for the Renovo Industrial Park. The upbeat word comes after project officials had announced in March that the original schedule had to be pushed back six months.
Many of the permits are coming into line, according to Mike Flanagan, President of the Clinton County Economic Partnership, who spoke with REC officials this week. According to the update, the Department of Environmental Protection air quality permit is almost complete, with a draft permit expected to be issued soon that will allow for any public comment. A joint permit involving the US Army Corps of Engineers is also moving ahead. Flanagan said REC hopes to have all the permits in place sometime in August. He said a meeting is scheduled next week in Harrisburg with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to discuss access roads for the gas pipeline that will run from the site to a location near Leidy. The pipeline will supply the facility with gas to convert to electricity.
Progress has also been reported in another crucial area, the interconnect system for both the Pennsylvania and New York grids. Renovo Energy Center/Bechtel could seek financing by the end of the calendar year, with possible groundbreaking during the second quarter of 2018, according to word relayed by Flanagan
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“REC officials remain very positive about the entire project,” said Flanagan. “We know there were some anxious moments when it was announced three months ago that the project was being pushed back from its earlier announced tentative timeframes, but we hope everyone understands that this is an involved and complex project. We appreciate everyone working together on this and Bechtel’s investment in the Renovo area.”
The project is expected to have hundreds of construction workers on site for more than two years. There will be approximately 30 permanent jobs when the project is completed.
