NextEra Energy Resources announced that it will be investing $13 billion in the construction and operation of three combined-cycle natural gas-powered electricity generating facilities in the Pittsburgh region. The East Riverside Energy Center will be located on approximately 700 acres of former coal mines and refuse sites in Luzerne and German townships, Fayette County.

The project is part of the initiative approved under the U.S.-Japan Trade Deal to support up to 4.3 gigawatts of new natural gas-powered generation in southwest Pennsylvania. Each facility will be capable of producing up to 1,250 megawatts of electricity and all are expected to become operational in phases between 2030 and 2032. The effort is intended to help meet large-scale electricity demand without shifting costs onto existing utility customers.

The East Riverside Energy Center project is also expected to generate additional business opportunities for local suppliers, contractors and other service providers. Under the framework established in the trade deal, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Government of Japan are responsible for identifying the ultimate end-user that could be supported by these new generation facilities and associated energy infrastructure.

Matt Smith, Chief Growth Officer of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development – the organization that oversees regional economic development through its affiliate, the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance – offered this perspective on the news: