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Hernando Today

Company Proposes Brooksville Power Plant

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: August 21, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - A contractor will likely propose a 1,200-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant on Florida Crushed Stone property north of the city limits, according to an overview of the project submitted to the county planning department.

SunCoast Power would build the plant infrastructure on 75 acres of reclaimed mine land on Florida Crushed Stone's 580-acre property between U.S. 98 and the Suncoast Parkway. The plant would run on natural gas piped from an existing line through a new transmission line on Florida Crushed Stone property.

SunCoast has not yet submitted applications to the county planning department for the project, said Planning Director Ron Pianta. Rather, the company notified the county it plans to submit its qualifications to Progress Energy, Pianta said. Progress has put out a call for projects to help meet the region's burgeoning energy needs. SunCoast will likely submit its Hernando County plant proposal as an answer to that call.

"We asked (SunCoast) for an overview so we had some kind of base knowledge of what's going on," Pianta said.

A SunCoast Power representative did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday afternoon. A staffer at Florida Crushed Stone declined comment, saying "no one is allowed to talk about that project right now."

According to the SunCoast project overview, the plant would take three years to build and cost an estimated $1.3 billion. It would employ about 40 full-time employees.

The project could be a boon to Hernando County, SunCoast contends.

"Net impacts are very favorable as there is little reliance on public infrastructure, yet ad valorem is significant," the overview states. That tax revenue would likely be in the "multi-millions."

The plant proposal does not require a change to the county's comprehensive land use map, but the County commission would have to OK the site plan.

SunCoast Power needs the blessing of Hernando County to remain competitive in Progress Energy's selection process, the overview states.

Other points the company makes in the document:

•The plant would have to meet state and federal air quality standards. Gas-fired technology is cleaner than coal-fired plants. Similar power plants are up and running in Dade City and Leesburg.

•Water for the plant would be pulled from on-site wells. Water used for cooling and other plant processes is recycled.

•The plant's "enclosed construction limits noise generation."

•The closest home is about a half-mile away. The closest residential subdivision is 1.5 miles away.

The overview does not specify the subdivision, but Brookridge is about that far to the southwest.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandoto

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