El Paso Electric is seeking state approval to build a new natural gas-powered electric plant to support Meta Platform’s future data center needs – a move that is raising concerns among some city leaders though state regulators must review and approve the application before the facility can be built.
The utility is aiming to amend its certificate of convenience and necessity for a 366-megawatt natural gas generation facility. The estimated $473 million plant, if the application is approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, will be named the McCloud facility and will be used and paid for by Meta, according to El Paso Electric’s application to the utility commission.
The plant, expected to be operational by 2027 if approved, will be built on 31 acres in Northeast El Paso adjacent to the $1.5 billion data center. El Paso Electric officials said the plant is necessary to provide sufficient power for the data center’s accelerated development timeline. The Newman 6 power plant, which generates 228 megawatts using natural gas, cost $217 million to build. That plant started operating in 2023…