New Power Plant Breaks Ground in Sherman

The Sherman site would tie into ERCOT grid

Warnings that the state of Texas will not have enough power in the next few years is leading to a push for new power plants

"We're certainly concerned about having enough electricity," said Texas Public Utility Commissioner Rolando Pablos. "It helps with adding capacity to our grid."

Pablos is referring to the construction of two new, massive generating stations in the state – one in Temple and the other in Sherman.

The Panda Sherman Generating Station celebrated its groundbreaking on Thursday.
Panda Power Funds' president Todd Carter emphasized the growing need for electricity, specifically in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. "This is one of the biggest markets that needs power in the entire country right now," he said.
The Sherman site will be home to a 758-megawatt natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle power plant.
"That's enough to power 750,000 homes," said Mario Azar, executive vice president of Siemens Energy Solutions Americas, one of the project's partners.
Azar maintains the plant is environmentally friendly, producing low emissions.
He also emphasized the project’s efficiency.
The generating station will be have a "quick start" function, meaning if demand becomes especially high, like in the summer months, the plant can start up to full capacity within 30 minutes, although within 10 minutes, it will have power.
The Sherman site should be fully operational by the end of 2014.
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