ST. CHARLES, Md., Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) has filed permit applications with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to construct a new natural gas power plant in Charles County. The 640 megawatt state-of-the-art facility, called CPV St. Charles, would help secure the region's supply of energy and be one of the cleanest natural gas plants ever licensed in Maryland. "We have three primary goals in mind in bringing this state-of-the-art facility to Maryland: to offer reliable and secure energy to the region, to produce this energy in an environmentally sound way, and to forge a strong partnership with the community where we will operate," said Doug Egan, CPV Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "As a Maryland-based company, it is an exciting opportunity for CPV to help secure the state's energy supply needs and keep electricity costs low for area consumers." The permits for the new CPV St. Charles power plant, filed Friday afternoon by CPV Maryland LLC, were submitted shortly after the release of a report by the Maryland Public Service Commission warning of a critical shortage in Maryland's electricity capacity that could lead to rolling blackouts as early as 2011. The report noted the benefits of adding additional power generation, especially natural gas generation, in the state as a way to address this issue. CPV St. Charles would provide power to roughly 600,000 homes using clean-burning natural gas, a fuel that is significantly cleaner than the coal that currently powers the majority of plants in the region. Moreover, by increasing the supply of energy to the region, the plant would help hold down electricity costs. The company would be one of the largest tax payers in the county. During construction, 350 to 400 jobs would be created, with a strong focus on hiring these skilled laborers locally. Once fully functional, 25 full-time employees would be needed to operate the facility and would earn an average salary of $55,000.
