Progress Energy said today it plans to build a natural-gas power plant near Wilmington to replace three coal-burning units at the site that are being shut down to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.
The 600-megawatt plant will cost about $600 million and begin generating electricity in 2014. The Raleigh-based electric utility filed its plan today with state regulators.
The conversion of the Sutton plant near Wilmington from coal to natural gas is part of Progress's plan to close down 11 coal-burning units at four sites in the state as it shifts to greener strategies.
The company is bracing for steeply rising costs to operate coal-burning power plants as state and federal regulators clamp down on pollutants and on carbon dioxide, which many scientists consider to be a major contributor to global warming.
Natural gas generates half the carbon dioxide of coal, and dramatically cuts pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury. Natural gas also eliminates toxic ash and other byproducts of coal.
The company had previously received state approval to build a 950-megawatt natural gas power plant near Goldsboro, and it's evaluating whether to build natural-gas or biomass plants at the Cape Fear site in Chatham County and the Weatherspoon site in Robeson County.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), utilities (electric, natural gas, telephone) and telecommunications. His beat includes such publicly traded companies as Progress Energy, Duke Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, Tekelec, Cisco Systems, AT&T, among others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or 
