DEP, REC want energy plant hearing process to continue

HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and the Renovo Energy Center want the state Environmental Hearing Board to continue the project’s hearing process even as another environmental group challenge to the long-delayed Renovo energy project remains pending.

DEP and REC representatives last week filed a motion with the hearing board, asking that agency to schedule “a status conference in this matter to discuss case management and the scheduling of a hearing.” The joint DEP/REC request comes after Clean Air Council, PennFuture, and the Center for Biological Diversity in November appealed an October DEP extension of Renovo Energy Center’s air pollution permit for a gas-fired power plant. That DEP extension allows the power plant developer an additional 18 months, through April 27, 2024, to build the power plant. DEP originally permitted the plant in April 2021.

In their submission to the environmental hearing board, DEP and REC said, “the plan approval extension should not inhibit the parties from promptly moving forward with a hearing to resolve outstanding issues in this matter.” Their filing said, “the parties have expended significant time and resources…since the appeal was filed in May 2021” and “REC and the Department are prepared to move forward with a hearing on this matter.” The filing also said about the environmental groups opposed to the project, “While the appellants do not oppose a status conference with the board…appellants have expressed a preference to pursue discovery and other prehearing procedures” in the air plan approval extension appeal.

Plans for the billion-dollar energy plant for Renovo’s old northside railroad site were first disclosed in 2014.