(NORTH BERGEN) – Representatives of North Bergen Liberty Generating, LLC, a subsidiary of Diamond Generating Corporation, today teamed with North Bergen Township Mayor Nick Sacco and other supporters to discuss in detail a proposal to build a 1,200 megawatt, natural gas-fired electric generating facility.
Speaking at the proposed site, North Bergen Liberty Generating (NBLG) Vice President of Development David Deutsch stated the reasons for the plant’s location, including the economic and environmental benefits.
“Our facility would be among the cleanest, most efficient power plants in the region,” said Deutsch. “Our project would provide close to a thousand construction jobs, millions in new tax revenue for New Jersey and North Bergen, and safe, reliable power for the region.”
The $1.8 billion project would sit on a 15-acre site in a heavy industrial section of North Bergen Township at 94th Street near existing energy and utility infrastructure. The NBLG plant would use clean-burning natural gas and the latest combustion turbine technology to produce enough electricity to power approximately 1.2 million residences in New York City.
The project would connect electrically to New York City at Con Edison’s 49th Street substation via a 345 kilovolt underground and underwater cable crossing the Hudson River.
The Mayor noted that NBLG’s investment would provide significant tax relief to the residents of North Bergen.
“This project represents a once in a generation chance to add a major new source of tax revenue to North Bergen with no impact on residential neighborhoods and little to no strain on municipal services,” said Mayor Sacco. “I’m proud that NBLG has chosen to locate this project here and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them to make this vision into a reality.”
Members of the Bergen and Hudson County Building and Construction Trades applauded the prospect of working on a significant infrastructure project for the region.
“This facility will provide jobs for hundreds of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, laborers, operating engineers, dock-builders, pipefitters, boilermakers, painters, glazers, cement finishers, roofers, and all the other men and women in the building trades,” said Hudson County Building & Construction Trades President Patrick Kehller. “We need to move this project forward.”
Anticipating no delays, construction of the facility could begin by the end 2019 and could be operational by the end of 2022.
“Most people associate regional infrastructure improvements as building new bridges or rail tunnels,” said NJ Alliance for Action President Phillip Beachem. “However, the proposed North Bergen Liberty Generating facility is a perfect example of how we should invest in vital new infrastructure that creates the least amount of environmental and community disturbance with the greatest amount of public benefit.”
With the anticipated closure of the Indian Point nuclear facility, proponents of the plan said it is imperative that a clean, reliable electric generation facility is constructed to meet the area’s rising energy demands. The proposed NBLG facility would utilize the latest combustion turbine technology which is 34% more efficient than the average existing power plant serving New York City today. By reducing the region’s reliance on less efficient gas-fired facilities as well as facilities that burn more emissions-intensive fuels, including fuel oil and coal, and by utilizing state-of-the-art air emissions controls, the project would result in significant reductions of airborne emissions in our region.
NBLG would purchase allowances from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to offset 100% of its anticipated CO2 emissions.
“To generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity through solar and wind would require a land area the size of Bergen and Hudson Counties combined,” said Deutsch. “There just is no room anywhere in the region to build such a ‘green’ source of electricity without destroying open space.”
Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jim Kirkos was succinct when describing his support of NBLG.
“We have a project that will bring power to one of our largest cities and economic engines in the nation, help address serious regional environmental concerns with existing power facilities and provide jobs and significant economic support to a local New Jersey town,” said Kirkos. “This is what a regional economy and a united community is all about.”
For more information, please visit www.libertygenerating.com