Texas power provider plans 1.2 GW plant using hydrogen, natural gas

Entergy Texas Inc. wants to build a 1.2 GW combined cycle power plant capable of running on a combination of natural gas and hydrogen.

The proposed Orange County Advanced Power Station will be located near Bridge City, Texas, and will be capable of powering more than 230 000 homes. If the state’s Public Utility Commission approves Entergy Texas’s application, construction will begin in the second quarter of 2023. Entergy Texas expects the plant to be in service by summer 2026.

“The Orange County Advanced Power Station is a Texas project for Texas customers,” said Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. “The addition of this facility will continue our work to provide reliable, low-cost and clean energy in Southeast Texas and will provide more than US$1.5 billion in net benefits to customers by reducing reliance on energy markets.”

The company said the plant’s ability to be powered by hydrogen, which emits no carbon dioxide, supports its long-term viability for customers and the Southeast Texas community. Hydrogen is widely used today in industrial processes, including by a number of Entergy Texas’s large industrial customers.

The Orange County Advanced Power Station, is a 1.2 GW, dual fuel combined cycle power facility proposed to be built near Bridge City, Texas, and will use a combination of natural gas and hydrogen.

The fuel can be stored nearby in facilities, such as in Entergy Texas’ Spindletop storage facility, and can be deployed alongside natural gas to produce lower emissions energy reliably when needed, including working in hours when intermittent renewable resources do not generate power, the company said.

Southeast Texas is well-positioned to play a key role in the transition to increased hydrogen development, as it are in the heart of hydrogen producers, pipeline, storage and industrial users, the company said.

An outside economic impact analysis by TXP Inc. found that the construction and operation of the Orange County Advanced Power Station will play a major role in creating jobs and driving increased economic activity. Estimates indicate that construction will provide more than 7000 direct jobs in Texas and nearly US$1.8 billion in economic activity for the regional economy. Once operational, the plant will provide approximately 27 permanent direct jobs in Texas.

In addition to meeting current customer needs across Southeast Texas, the Orange County Advanced Power Station will be built with a focus on long-term sustainability in an economy where many stakeholders and customers are focused increasingly on decarbonization. The plant’s ability to be powered by hydrogen, which emits no carbon dioxide, supports its long-term viability for customers and the Southeast Texas community. Hydrogen is widely used today in industrial processes, including by a number of Entergy Texas’s large industrial customers. The fuel can be stored nearby in facilities such as in Entergy Texas’s Spindletop storage facility and can be deployed alongside natural gas to produce lower emissions energy reliably when needed, including working in hours when intermittent renewable resources do not generate power.

“Southeast Texas is well-positioned to play a key role in the transition to increased use of hydrogen in electric generation,” said Rainer. “Our region is home to hydrogen producers, pipelines, storage and industrial users. We look forward to working with industry partners on the role the Orange County Advanced Power Station will play in providing reliable power while also meeting the sustainability needs of our customers and communities, and also to establish Southeast Texas as a global hub for hydrogen production and consumption.”

Within the coming months, Entergy Texas intends to file a request for approval to construct the Orange County Advanced Power Station with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. If the Public Utility Commission approves Entergy Texas’s application, construction will begin in the second quarter of 2023. Entergy Texas expects the plant to be in service by summer 2026.

About Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 473,000 customers in 27 counties.