After months of public debate, the way has been cleared for the construction of a new nearly $170 million power plant in El Paso.
Officials with the El Paso Electric company and a coalition of environment groups have come to an agreement that will put an end to challenges to the project, allowing for work on the northeast El Paso site to begin soon.
In so doing, the company has committed itself to not build any additional natural gas units between now and 2025.
Opposition to what is officially called the Newman 6 plant has been constant since the project was initially announced.
Several groups, including the Sierra Club and the Chaparral Coalition for Community Health, challenged both the need for the new facility as well the pending Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approval of an air quality permit for the project.
The agreement will allow El Paso Electric to complete the permitting process for the plant, with construction beginning perhaps early next year.
As proposed, the 228-megawatt natural gas unit will be designed to replace three other units, Newman 1 & 2 and Rio Grande 7, that are more than 60 years old.
By Garry Boulard
