The Lansing Board of Water & Light say this new power plant will be "the first new utility power plant built in Michigan in 25 years."
Following a national trend away from coal, this power plant will burn natural gas.
According to their press release, the municipally-owned utility expects to cut is greenhouse gas emissions by 50% compared to the coal-fired steam and electric units the new power plant will replace. They list other benefits as well:
- Eliminate the need to burn 351,000 tons of coal compared to the steam and electric units that the new plant will replace. - Lower mercury and SO2 (sulfur dioxide) emissions by over 99 percent, and NOx (oxides of nitrogen) by over 85 percent compared to the coal-fired boilers that are now retired.
The power plant called the "REO Town plant" will be fully operational Monday.
It's part $182 million project that also includes a headquarters building and a restored Grand Trunk Western Railroad depot for the BWL Board of Commissioners meetings.
The plant is expected to generate up to 300,000 pounds of steam for 225 steam customers in downtown Lansing, replacing the Moores Park Steam Plant. It also will provide 100 megawatts of electricity, about 20 percent of the utility's electric generation.
The Lansing Board of Water & Light offers water, electric, steam and chilled water service to more than 100,000 residential and business customers.
