Duke Energy shows off construction progress at $898M Asheville gas plant

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Duke Energy Progress is a little more than half finished with its $898 million combined-cycle natural gas plant that will replace its current coal-fired Asheville Plant.

Jason Walls, Duke’s district manager for Asheville, says there is a lot going on at the plant right now. The 376-megawatt coal unit continues to operate while about 750 construction workers for McDermott International Inc. build the 560-megawatt replacement.

[ALSO READ: Duke Energy may ask lawmakers for customer rate hike to overhaul power grid]

Duke (NYSE: DUK) operates two 165-megawatt, simple-cycle peaker plants on the site. Meanwhile, Duke also continues its work excavating coal ash from a 34-acre coal-ash pond on the site.

The entire Asheville Plant site is just over 1,000 acres, including 300 acres covered by Lake Julian. So virtually every inch of it is involved in producing power, coal-ash cleanup, work on the new plant construction and construction staging areas.

Walls, Plant Manager Brian Brentise and Jeff Blackwood, Duke’s construction project director, took reporters on a tour of the site Tuesday.

Read the full story and see photos of construction progress here.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• NC state trooper shot, killed during traffic stop; suspect in custody
• Polio-like illness causing paralysis in children reaches the Carolinas
• Former pro-wrestler Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair sued by daughter's ex-husband
• WATCH: Jaclyn Shearer's Wednesday forecast outlook
• Mega Millions jackpot reaches record-breaking $868 million; Powerball jackpot is $345 million

Cox Media Group