April
10, 2001
FPL Energy to build and operate new power plant in Alabama
JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL
Group (NYSE:FPL), today announced it will build, own and operate
a 624-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant in Calhoun County
in northeastern Alabama.
Electricity generated at the new power plant, which will have the
capacity to power approximately 500,000 homes in the region, will
be sold primarily under contract to Alabama Power Company, a subsidiary
of Southern Company.
The new clean energy facility, named the Calhoun Energy Center,
will operate as a "peaking" facility. That means it will
operate primarily during periods of high electricity demand, for
example, from mid-morning to early evening in the high heat and
humidity typical of Alabama summers.
Construction of the simple-cycle combustion turbine facility is
targeted to begin later this year, with an anticipated completion
date in the summer of 2003. The site is located in Bynum, just outside
of Anniston, Alabama.
"We are pleased to enter the Alabama market with the construction
of the Calhoun Energy Center. This project will support growth in
the region, while capitalizing on an ideal site, close to power
demand, an existing electric transmission system and a natural gas
transportation system," said FPL Energy President Lew Hay.
"We are supporting Alabama Power's needs for additional electricity
in the region as they reach out to spur economic development in
the area."
FPL Energy is a leading independent producer of clean energy, including
natural gas, wind, solar and hydroelectric. It owns and operates
power plants with more than 4,100 total net megawatts -- 80% of
which comes from clean energy sources -- in 12 states across the
country. Given current development activities, FPL Energy expects
to have more than 9,000 megawatts in operation by 2003.
FPL Group, with annual revenues of more than $7 billion, is one
of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services.
FPL Group's principal subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company,
one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving approximately
3.9 million customer accounts in Florida. Additional information
is available on the Internet at
www.fplenergy.com,
www.fplgroup.com
and www.fpl.com
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