Utilities expect new state-of-the-art natural gas combined-cycle generating unit to begin serving power to customers’ homes and businesses in 2027.
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — Among teams of construction personnel hauling materials and beginning preparations for a major construction site, officials from Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company were joined by project partners on Nov. 13 at Mill Creek Generating Station to celebrate the official groundbreaking of their newest generating unit. Mill Creek 5, a 640-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle generating unit, is now under construction and expected to begin powering customers’ homes and businesses in 2027.
Mill Creek 5, which will be LG&E and KU’s most efficient and advanced generating unit, was approved last year by the Kentucky Public Service Commission as part of the utilities’ generation investment plan, which also includes adding a significant amount of new solar and a 125-megawatt battery energy storage system. At the time, the utilities also received approval to economically retire Mill Creek Unit 1 by the end of this year and Unit 2 in 2027, as well as several gas peaking units.
“This is an exciting milestone for our company,” said LG&E and KU President John Crockett. “Executing on our generation investment plan, building Mill Creek 5 and adding more solar and battery storage, ensures we have the right mix of power generation that’s flexible and balanced to support a sustainable energy grid and allow us to transition Kentucky’s energy future safely and reliably.”
“Once complete, Mill Creek 5 will be a hallmark within our generation fleet that’s already among the nation’s best,” said Lonnie Bellar, senior vice president of Engineering and Construction at PPL, parent company of LG&E and KU. “The unit features cutting-edge technologies that maximize its power generation capabilities to help us close the gap toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while preserving reliability and affordability for our 1.3 million customers.”
Mill Creek 5 will be the utilities’ most efficient and advanced baseload generating unit, producing electricity through both a gas turbine and a steam turbine, which utilizes steam generated from the exhaust heat in the gas combustion process. It’s the second natural gas combined-cycle generating unit in LG&E and KU’s generation fleet. In 2015, the utilities began operating Cane Run 7, which was a first-of-its kind in Kentucky. Natural gas combined-cycle units are among the most efficient gas-fired generating technology currently available, producing 65% less carbon per megawatt hour than coal-fired units.
Major project partners involved in the engineering, manufacturing and commissioning of Mill Creek 5 include GE Vernova; Vogt Power International Inc., a Babcock Power Inc. subsidiary; and TIC–The Industrial Company, which also will provide on-site construction oversight. At the height of construction, LG&E and KU expect to have an additional 500 contract personnel working on site.
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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 335,000 natural gas and 436,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 545,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and 28,000 in five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
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