Planning commission defers decisions on Tenaska—s Expedition Generating Station after hours of public comment

The Fluvanna County Planning Commission spent the evening hearing a detailed presentation from Tenaska and its consultants about the proposed Expedition Generating Station and related regulatory requests, then deferred final recommendations so staff and commissioners could gather more information and respond to residents— concerns.

Tenaska presented technical studies on noise, air emissions and water use, a site concept and proffered conditions including a 300-foot landscape buffer and a commitment to place roughly 350 acres south of the site into perpetual conservation easement. Company representatives said the proposed combined-cycle plant would have a nominal summer capacity of up to 1,540 megawatts and a roughly 50-acre developed footprint on two parcels totaling about 414.05 acres (tax map 27-A-1 and 27-A-4). Tenaska said the project would use the same substation, natural gas pipeline and water system as the existing local plant and that construction could require about 800 workers at peak, with deliveries estimated at about 6 to 30 truck units per day during the multiyear work.

Why it matters: The commission considered three linked items: (1) ZTA 2509, a zoning text amendment to allow the Board of Supervisors to grant stack-height waivers for power plants; (2) SA 2501, the state code (15.2-2232) substantial accord review to determine whether the proposed plant—s general location and character conform with the county comprehensive plan; and (3) SUP 2504, the special-use permit to allow a major utility (the plant) in A-1 agricultural zoning. Each decision affects county land-use policy, environmental protections and the process for state permitting the plant will still need to obtain.

What Tenaska told the commission: Jared Pitts, Tenaska—s lead developer, and company engineers described the project as a modern, combined-cycle natural-gas facility sited adjacent to the existing plant. Tenaska said the new plant would be used to meet regional dispatchable electricity needs and noted the project was identified in PJM—s reliability resource initiative.…