PSEG Fossil is a subsidiary of PSEG Power, an independent power producer that generates and sells electricity in the wholesale market, with a fleet totaling more than 11,600 MWs of electric generating capacity. With the addition of the PSEG Keys Energy Center, the combined-cycle gas turbine fleet would grow to represent in excess of 4,000 MWs, or approximately one third of the fleet. PSEG Power is a nationally recognized industry leader on environmental issues. PSEG Fossil operates the company’s portfolio of natural gas, coal and oil-fired electric generating units.
PSEG has always worked diligently to conduct our business in concert with the environment. PSEG has been an industry leader in tackling climate change and an outspoken supporter of creating a national framework for reducing power plant carbon emissions. Since 2007, we have used a three-pronged strategy of energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean central station power to reduce our carbon footprint. We’ve invested more than $3 billion in support of that strategy.
The PSEG Keys Energy Center, owned by PSEG Fossil, a subsidiary of PSEG Power, began construction in 2015 of a new clean, natural gas-fired, power plant in Prince George’s County, Maryland and is targeted to be in operation in 2018. The PSEG Keys Energy Center project is being constructed on a 180+ acre parcel of land previously used for a sand and gravel mining operation. The site is located north of North Keys Road approximately 1.25 miles east of Brandywine, Maryland.
A priority for site selection was to identify suitable property that had a permitted use within the current zoning designation. The proposed site was previously used as a gravel mine and is currently zoned as open space (O-S) with electric power facilities identified as a permitted use within the zone. The proximity to linear facilities was also a key factor in site selection. The proposed site has an existing 500-kV transmission line right-of-way located on the western side of the property allowing the project to directly connect to the electrical grid. A major interstate natural gas pipeline is in close proximity. Therefore, the site was determined to be suitable for the project from engineering, environmental, and socioeconomic perspectives.
A siting evaluation was conducted to select an appropriate location for the project in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The site selection considerations included:
- Location—rural versus developed area, existing land use
- Zoning—industrial versus agricultural
- Visual impacts
- Noise impacts
- Ecological impacts
- Air quality
- Water supply
- Socioeconomic impacts
- Electrical transmission capacity
- Natural gas supply
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