Lordstown Energy Center begins commercial operation
Plant expected to supply electricity to 850,000 homes
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LORDSTOWN -- Lordstown Energy Center the 940-megawatt, $900 million gas-fueled electricity generation plant recently constructed in Lordstown, has begun commercial operation, the plant announced Tuesday.
The plant employs 21 highly skilled people with experience in power plant operations, including operators, plant managers and safety officers, among others. The plant is able to supply approximately 850,000 homes and businesses with electricity.
Pennsylvania native Drew Schneider has been named plant manager for the facility. Schneider has nearly 40 years of energy experience and had served on a U.S. Navy nuclear power submarine for 20 years, along with serving in leadership roles at Ontelaunee Energy Center in Leesport, Pa., and Bridgeport Energy and at Kleen Energy Systems, both in Connecticut.
"I'm humbled to be the plant manager and for the opportunity to both lead this state-of-the-art power plant and to become part of the greater Mahoning Valley community," Schneider said. "It's an exciting time, and I'm honored to lead our dedicated team."
"It's been a long time coming," Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill said. "I'm glad that it's finally happened. It's very exciting to see."
While 21 jobs may not appear to be impactful, Hill said the plant "saved" the village's schools by giving the district a series of payments. The plant provided a one-time payment of $400,000, donated $1 million for a new track and soccer facility and provided three $500,000 payments during construction. Additionally, for the first five years the plant is in operation, it will give the school district $1 million per year, $1.25 million for the following five years and $1.5 million annually for the next five years. Hill said the support is in return for a 100 percent tax abatement for 15 years.
Bill Siderewicz, a member of the board of directors for the Lordstown plant, said the benefits of the plant opening will extend beyond Lordstown.
"It's great news for the area," said Siderewicz, who estimated the budget to run the plant will be about $30 million, including labor, benefits and payment for water and other essentials. "That's a lot of goods and services that would be purchased locally."
Eric Stasiowski, of Pecchia Communications, speaking on behalf of the Lordstown Energy Center, said the 21 employees are mostly from the area and have power plant experience.
The plant's opening comes as the fate of a second $900 million power plant in Lordstown, the Trumbull Energy Center, remains tied up in litigation. Siderewicz, a minority investor in the Lordstown plant and president of Clean Energy Future LLC, which owns the proposed Trumbull plant, said he is in mediation with the majority holders in the Lordstown plant, Macquarie Group and Siemens Financial Services Inc. At issue are several real estate rights, including a land option contract that would allow the Trumbull plant to build on land previously offered by the Lordstown plant. Siderewicz said the last two sessions with Trumbull County Commons Pleas Judge Peter Kontos and magistrates Anthony Cornicelli and Jami Bishop have been productive.
"Both sides feel they're making great progress that will hopefully lead to an agreement soon," he said.
One expert says the possibility of two natural gas plants in Lordstown is the result of an abundant supply of natural gas in Ohio and surrounding areas and tighter restrictions on coal-fired power plants. Neil Durbin, spokesman for Dominion Energy Ohio, said natural gas is the current fossil fuel of choice.
"It's the cleanest burning of the fossil fuels, so it has environmental advantages," Durbin said. "And with shale in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, we have seen large amounts of natural gas coming onto the market, which leads to prices going down."
Durbin said the preference for natural gas isn't expected to wane any time soon.
"This shift from coal to natural gas is a long-term development in energy," he said.