Has Construction Really Started?

I noticed recently that the Bowie Power Station Web site has not been updated for four months and that there has been no activity at the site. I spoke to Trevor Baggiore from the Air Quality Permitting Section of ADEQ and learned that there will not be a new round of licensing as SWPG will be using the same gas turbine as specified in the original proposal. The license would have expired on September 13, 2007 - 18 months from the date it was issued - if construction had not commenced. Construction is considered to have started if site work has begun or if a contract has been signed for construction. On Sept. 10, SWPG signed a contract with MMR Group for construction of the plant. As SWPG is wholly owned by MMR Group, this contract could be either a legitimate legal contract or a disingenuous way to get around a deadline. We'll see.

In a recent story in USA Today SWPG general manager Getts blamed increasing costs and uncertainties on carbon dioxide capture for the switch back to natural gas.