February 2, 2012
LANSING -- A towering crane is under construction at the sire of a new power plant in Lansing's REO Town, the Board of Water and Light said in a release today, marking the beginning of construction on the board's new power plant.
"This is the start of an exciting phase in the construction of the new power plant," BWL General Manager J. Peter Lark said in a statement. "While months of planning and site preparation have already taken place, steel will soon be erected and give shape to the facility -- giving onlookers an idea of how spectacular the facility will be."
The 160-foot high crane will be used to erect the structural steel for the $182 million cogeneration power plant.
The facility is expected to be fully operational in July, 2013.
The co-generation plant is the BWL's first natural gas-fired energy generation facility, and is expected to generate up to to 100 megawatts of electricity. Steam generated in the process will serve the board's 225 steam customers in and near downtown Lansing.
BWL said in a statement that the switch to natural gas will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent, and avoid burning 139,000 tons of coal per year.
Two BWL-owned plants were among the top 25 worst-polluting power plants in Michigan, according to a recent report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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