Pennsylvania-based PPL Corp. apparently has been watching itsfair share of westerns as it seems the company has recently takenon a “Go West” theme. This is evidenced by the company’s plans tobuild 1,800 MW of new electricity generation on the left coast atan estimated development cost of $900 million.

PPL’s development subsidiary, PPL Global, LLC will build a 1,200MW natural gas-fired plant in eastern Washington State at $600million and a 600 MW peaking gas-fired facility in Pinal County, AZfor $300 million.

“These new power plants will expand our ability to providemuch-needed electricity to customers in 14 Western states — andthey will do so with clean-burning natural gas,” said Paul T.Champagne, president of PPL Global, LLC. “The addition of thesepower plants will more than double PPL’s generating capacity in thewestern U.S., a key region in PPL’s development plans.”

The company said it has entered an agreement with NorthwestPower Enterprises to purchase Starbuck Power Co. LLC, which ownsthe rights for the proposed 1,200 MW plant. The facility, which isexpected to be in service as early as 2004, will be called PPLStarbuck and will be located in Columbia County, WA, near the townof Starbuck. “PPL has the resources to follow through on thisproject, which will help alleviate the shortage of electricity inthe Northwest,” said Steven Strasser, CEO of Northwest Power.

Champagne reported that the 600 MW Arizona plant named PPLSundance is expected to be in service in time to meet the summer2002 peak. The facility “is uniquely positioned to serve thegrowing demands of the Phoenix metropolitan area,” said Champagne.

PPL plans to power the new facilities with General Electricgas-fired combustion turbines. In October, PPL acquired 30-turbineswith the option to take up to an additional 36 units. The CEO saidwith the most recently announced facilities, the company would haveto expand on its 30 turbine firm order.

With over 10,140 MW on the East Coast and 1,456 MW currently onthe West Coast, Champagne said that the Arizona and Washingtonplants bring the company up to about two-thirds of the way to itsobjective of controlling 20,000 MW by the middle of this decade.

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