NTE Energy, which recently began building two natural gas-fired combined-cycle facilities in North Carolina and Ohio, said Friday it would invest $2 billion more to build three more gas-fired plants, including another in North Carolina and in Ohio, as well as in Connecticut.

The 500 MW Reidsville Energy Center is to be sited in Rockingham County, NC, while the Killingly Energy Center, another 500 MW facility, would be in Killingly, CT. Rockingham and Killingly each are expected to cost of $500 million-plus. The 1,000 MW Pickaway Energy Center, to be built in Ohio’s Pickaway County, is estimated to cost more than $900 million.

Last month affiliate NTE Carolinas LLC said it had secured $600 million to build the 475 MW Kings Mountain Energy Center in Cleveland County, NC (seeDaily GPI, March 16). NTE last fall also began construction on the 475 MW gas-fired Middletown Energy Center in Middletown, OH. Construction of NTE’s Pecan Creek Energy Center in Sweetwater, TX, a simple-cycle gas plant with 200-300 MW, is expected to begin this fall and cost about $200 million.

“Following the commencement of construction on NTE’s Kings Mountain Energy Center and Middletown Energy Center, we are excited to announce the next three projects in our portfolio,” CEO Seth Shortlidge said. The facilities, said the company, “will provide a clean and efficient source of electric capacity and energy for their respective region — New England, the Carolinas and the PJM wholesale electricity market.”

Pickaway is expected to be capable of powering 800,000 homes, providing about 450 construction jobs. Killingham and Reidsville could power up to 450,000 homes each, with each providing about 300 construction jobs. All three facilities would have about 25 full-time employees, the St. Augustine, FL-based developer said.

The newly announced facilities are scheduled to begin construction between 2017 and 2018, reaching full commercial operation between 2020 and 2021.