Coal

SWEPCO prepares for new development at former 675 MW lignite-fueled plant in Texas

Competitive reviews are underway and could include resources of up to 2,100 MW of accredited capacity through a range of generation sources, including natural gas, wind, solar and storage resources. 
SWEPCO prepares for new development at former 675 MW lignite-fueled plant in Texas
(The now-retired Pirkey plant. Source: AEP.)

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) is undergoing preparations for future development at the site of the retired H.W. Pirkey Power Plant.  

Work has continued to dismantle the stacks and boiler of the in Hallsville, Texas-based coal-fired plant to pave the way for future development.

H.W. Pirkey began operations on Jan. 3, 1985. The 675 MW plant was named after Henry W. Pirkey, Jr., SWEPCO president from 1965 to 1972. Pirkey was SWEPCO’s first lignite-fired power plant. 

The plant was retired in spring 2023 after 38 years of service.

 In January, the American Electric Power (AEP) subsidiary announced three Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for additional generation and capacity resources to supply the needs of its customers and comply with Southwest Power Pool’s planning reserve margin requirements.  

Competitive reviews are underway and could include resources of up to 2,100 MW of accredited capacity through a range of generation sources, including natural gas, wind, solar and storage resources. 

SWEPCO is requesting proposals for these resources through purchase and sale agreements (PSA), power purchase agreements (PPA) and capacity purchase agreements (CPA).  

Once proposals are selected from the three RFPs, SWEPCO will seek necessary regulatory approvals. 

When the plant’s retirement was initially planned in 2020, SWEPCO and the Pirkey Plant partnered with the Just Transition Fund to form the Pirkey Transition Task Force, consisting of over two dozen local leaders, organizations, school districts, and business owners. The task force met bi-weekly to gather data, set priorities, engage the community, and develop an action plan.

Tags