A recent article by Marcellus Drilling News provided an update on the CPV Fairview power plant in Cambria County, indicating the plant may be online ahead of its originally expected 2020 date.
The $700 million plant, which will use natural gas and ethane to generate electricity for Pennsylvanians, has an expected generation capacity of 1,050 megawatt hours and originally broke ground in October of 2017.
Comments from an engineer working on the plant’s water cooling system indicated that the project could be operational by the end of the year, adding to the Commonwealth’s growing energy landscape.
CPV Fairview is one of the many infrastructure projects relying on stable natural gas and ethane delivery for operation. The natural gas component of CPV Fairview will be supplied through the Mariner East 2 pipeline, which sources natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale reserves in Western Pennsylvania.
The projects goes to show the snowball effect energy infrastructure projects can have. Development of the Mariner East 2 pipeline represents an opportunity for energy industry members to take on large scale projects like CPV, knowing that natural gas production and delivery are available in abundance.
This has manifested itself in a $700 million investment in Pennsylvanian labor which generates economic activity at the individual, business and household levels. Second, Cambria County and Pennsylvania will each receive tax revenues for years to come, from both the initial capital investment and operational costs throughout the life of the plant.
Looking forward it is important to assess the full picture and benefits of energy infrastructure. CPV Fairview is a welcome byproduct of Pennsylvania investing in pipeline infrastructure and natural gas.