LCRA selects Caldwell County for peaker plant

LOCKHART — The Lower Colorado River Authority announced Friday its new peaker power plant will be built in Caldwell County.

The new plant, which will provide about 190 megawatts of dispatchable power to the Texas power grid, will be built on a 51-acre-site in the Maxwell area.

Preliminary work has begun, with construction expected to begin this summer. The plant is expected to be operational in 2025.

“The new plant furthers our commitment to providing power to Texans,” said LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson. “Thousands of people are moving to our state every week, and I’m proud LCRA is continuing to develop new sources of power to help support our state’s dynamic growth.”

The new natural gas-fueled peaker plant will be able to ramp up and shut down in minutes when the need for power approaches or exceeds what is available from renewable and other thermal generation. The plant will include 10 Wartsila reciprocating engines, with each engine able to provide about 19 megawatts of power.