Va. regulators approve testing for proposed new coal plant
Last week the Virginia Marine Resources Commission gave unanimous approval to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) to conduct testing in the James River in preparation for the company’s proposed Cypress Creek Power Station in Surry County, Virginia.
The testing will help determine the type of screen that will be used on a pipeline the company plans to build to draw cooling water from the James River and deliver it to the proposed power plant. The screens will be used to prevent wildlife and debris from entering the pipeline.
Since 2008, ODEC has proposed building the $6 billion Cypress Creek Power Station on a site just outside the Town of Dendron. The combined coal and biomass-fired power plant will generate as much as 1,500 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power more than 375,000 homes and businesses in Virginia.
At the end of last year, the company announced they would delay seeking some permitting for the project by 18-24 months to allow time for the economy and electricity consumption to return to pre-recession levels. At that time, the company will resume seeking the more than 50 state and federal permits it will need to build the project, including crucial air and water permits from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In the meantime, however, the company continues to seek a major environmental impact assessment from the Army Corps of Engineers, in addition to making preparations such as the water pipeline.
Davis Phaup, a company spokesman, told the Virginian-Pilot last week that Cypress Creek will likely be operational by 2021.
