Hillabee Power begins commercial dispatch

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY, ALABAMA - Constellation Energy announced that its Hillabee Power Plant, a 740-megawatt combined cycle natural gas power plant, has begun commercial dispatch.

The new state-of-the-art generating facility is located in Tallapoosa County near Alexander City, Alabama.

Constellation Energy purchased the partially completed Hillabee plant from Calpine Corporation in 2008. Hillabee will generate electricity that will help Constellation Energy satisfy existing customer load obligations as well as increasing energy demand in the region.

"The Hillabee Power Plant is a major addition to our balanced portfolio of plants across the country and adds a state-of-the-art facility in a strategic and growing market," said John Long, president of Constellation Power Generation, a subsidiary of Constellation Energy. "The plant was constructed with the most recent technologies to help minimize environmental impact, and we are committed to operating the plant safely, with environmental integrity, and with a long-term commitment to being a good neighbor."

The Hillabee plant is fueled by clean-burning natural gas and uses combined cycle technology which recycles heat exhaust to create additional electricity with minimal waste and less water usage. The plant is also fitted with Selective Catalytic Reduction technology which significantly reduces nitrogen oxide emissions.

With the addition of Hillabee, Constellation Energy expanded its diversified fleet of generating units located in the United States and Canada, totaling more than 8,900 megawatts of fossil, nuclear and renewable generating capacity. The Hillabee facility employs 28 full-time workers.