Kings Mountain power plant fires up, offering wholesale cost savings

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NTE Energy celebrated the start of commercial operations at its $450 million Kings Mountain Energy Center Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting event that attracted close to 270 guests at the plant.

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Seth Shortlidge told the crowd that the plant’s nine contracted wholesale customers report savings of nearly 30%, on average, over the rates they have been paying for power.

“That’s significant, and it results in new companies coming into our communities and starting up businesses,” he said.

Kings Mountain is the first of two combined-cycle natural gas plants Florida-based NTE has planned for North Carolina. The second, $500 million Reidsville Energy Center north of Greensboro, is expected to start construction next year and to be on line by 2021.

Read the full story and check out photos of the plant here.

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