SUGAR LAND, TX (Covering Katy News)—Home standby generators have become very popular since winter storm URI knocked out the Texas power grid in 2021, and a tornado knocked out regional distribution lines last month in Cypress. Now, new technology provides backup power to entire cities.
Sugar Land likes the "rapid start" technology. It's city council recently approved a land lease agreement to that could potentially allow the city to build a $146 million power generation plant with an output capacity of at least 135 megawatts. If built, the plant would be designed to restore power to the whole city within minutes of an outage.
"We are committed to building a resilient and dependable power infrastructure here in Sugar Land, said Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman. This initiative not only ensures a critical resource for our community but will also make it easier for us to attract premier business partners, fostering long-term economic growth."
The development would be on 100 acres at 1 Circle Drive, a short distance west of the city's airport, along Highway 6 and 90A.
"We plan to construct the plant with highly efficient engines capable of producing power independently, even during extremely low or high temperatures," said Alba Penate-Johnson of the city's Office of Economic Development and Tourism. "These aspects align with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas goals, which operates Texas's electrical grid."
Construction could begin as early as 2025. Once completed, the plant will use natural gas to provide sustainable power to the Texas grid. In the event of a grid failure, weather-resistant engines will restore power within five minutes. The plant will supply electricity without relying on external grids, even during a complete blackout.
Mayor Zimmerman expects the city to seek financial backing from the Texas Energy Fund, a voter-approved initiative to encourage the state's construction of natural gas power plants.
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