Renovo Energy Center Project Still “Very Much Alive”

RESTON, VA – An official working with the proposed Renovo Energy Center says despite recent Clinton County rumors to the contrary, the $800 million natural gas-to-electricity project continues in its planning phase, start of construction at the end of 2018 still a possibility.

Tom Emero, a director with Innovative Power Solutions, a development consultant to REC, was contacted by therecord-online in light of reports circulating that the several-year-old project was being shut down. Emero said those stories are unfounded and the REC proposal remains “very much alive.”

He noted recent state approval of permitting for the massive plant proposed for the old Renovo rail yards. Emero said REC efforts are now concentrated on resolving interconnection engineering-related issues with the PJM power grid; he indicated hookup matters with the New York power grid have been resolved. Electricity from the Renovo plant would be sold to those two power grids which have nearby transmission lines.

Emero said project developers hope to resolve the remaining interconnection issues over the next “three to four” months and then move on to arrange financing, followed by demolition of the old rail shops and the start of construction towards the end of the current calendar year. He said while the interconnect issues have not yet been resolved, they have “not proved to be insurmountable and therefore we continue to focus on that aspect relative to if and when we’ll be able to move forward.”

Emero said REC was “very pleased” with the permitting approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection. He said it was a “pleasure” working with the state and the permit parameters will “allow for project success while protecting the environment.”

The power plant project has been in the works since 2014 and was first publicly announced in 2015. 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.