Members of the Public Service Commission (PSC) unanimously approved the purchase of a natural gas power plant near Billingsley in Autauga County by Alabama Power on Tuesday.
PSC staff recommended that Alabama Power’s purchase of the Tenaska Lindsay Hill generating station was necessary because the company “demonstrated a need for additional capacity” and presented evidence that the purchase was a “reasonable means to where the company can meet this need in a reliable and economic manner.”
“This milestone reinforces our commitment to deliver dependable energy to Alabama communities,” a spokesperson for Alabama Power said in an emailed statement to Inside Climate News after the approval. “Adding Lindsay Hill’s strong track record of reliable power to our generation mix will strengthen our ability to meet the growing needs of our state so we can economically produce the electricity our customers count on.”
The Alabama Power spokesperson told the outlet, “Customers will not see any impact on their bills from this facility until mid-2027.”
The Southern Environmental Law Center opposed approval of the purchase.
The clean energy group said in a statement on Tuesday the approval of the purchase would “raise customers’ bills more than $3 a month and deepen the state’s dependence on expensive, dirty, climate warming fossil fuels.”
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