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Tenaska pitches 700‑MW Rock Hill gas plant for Spencer County, cites $1 billion investment and 10‑year tax abatement
Summary
Tenaska officials presented a proposal for the 700‑megawatt Rock Hill Generating Station in Spencer County, outlining a multiyear timeline, projected construction and operational jobs, and a proposed 10‑year, declining tax‑abatement plan; the council took no action.
Tenaska representatives told the Spencer County Council on April 7 that the company plans to build the Rock Hill Generating Station, a proposed 700‑megawatt combined‑cycle, natural‑gas‑fueled power plant on E County Road 400 N.
"TENASKA is coming to Spencer County," David Wagner, senior director at Tenaska, told the council and listed an expected development timeline split into three parts, with development spanning up to two years. Wagner said the company anticipates the earliest possible construction start in 2028, pending all required permits and approvals, and the earliest start of commercial operations in late 2031 or early 2032.
The company provided estimated local economic impacts. Wagner said the project would involve more than $1 billion in capital investment, about 720 full‑time‑equivalent jobs during construction with $78.2 million in salaries and local contractor payments, and about 20 full‑time operational jobs with $1.9 million in annual salaries. The presentation listed projected public revenues of more than $36 million in net property taxes and about $4.3 million in sales and use taxes over the project period.
Wagner also described a proposed 10‑year tax abatement for the project: 100% abatement in the first year, decreasing by 10 percentage points each year through a 10‑year period. The presentation noted Tom Brown, a former county commissioner, as the local representative to Tenaska’s project team.
The council did not take any formal action on the proposal during the meeting. No votes to approve incentives, land use changes or tax agreements were recorded. Justin Grose moved to adjourn the meeting; Steve Haaff seconded and the motion carried. President Aaron Benton adjourned the meeting at 4:33 P.M.
Next steps identified in the presentation were procedural: securing necessary permits and approvals before construction can begin. The timeline and the company’s economic estimates were presented by Tenaska and not independently verified during the meeting.
