SWEPCO, the Southwestern Electric Power Co. currently in development of its Wagon Wheel wind farm in northern Oklahoma, now intends to renovate two of its coal-fired generators in East Texas.
SWEPCO intends to convert the two power facilities to include the use of natural gas. The company announced recently the conversion plans for its retired H.W. Pirkey Power Plant in Hallsville which it intends to make a 450-megawatt natural gas plant. The other facility, Welsh Power Plant in Titus County has two coal-fired burners that will be converted into natural gas.
First however, SWEPCO, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, must get approval from regulators.
“The future growth of new technologies and continued service to our customers are priorities that will require a diverse generation portfolio,” said Brett Mattison, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer. “Today’s announcement helps deliver on our commitment to delivering reliable, affordable, and dispatchable power whenever and wherever it is needed.”
The Longview News-Journal. reported the Pirkey Power plant was demolished about two months ago as SWEPCO prepared it for natural gas plans. The plant was a lignite-fired power plant when it became operational in 1985.
