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Mike_Presta 
MUSA Council 
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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 Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 6:18am |
"Noise" pollution is more likely than any other kind, and that is easily handled by sound insulation. I concur with your opinion re: HHGuy! |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Trotwood
MUSA Resident 
Joined: Jul 22 2013 Status: Offline Points: 117 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 6:26am |
You really want it? Here goes..... On the one hand, Middletown can use the jobs. We all know how hard the town has been hit. But you have to think about the cost. There is a reason why a giant natural gas burning plant is going in Middletown and not West Chester, Lebanon, Springboro or even Hamilton - they would oppose the extra pollution like crazy. Middletown, not so much, because anybody advocating for clean air in the city would be easily refuted by any person who has a finger and can point to AK Steel. So right now, it looks like Middletown is becoming a hub for the area's "hazardous industries" - like anything that emits lots of air and water pollution. When Mt. Rumple and Stony Hollow fill up, I would not be surprised to see a garbage dump move into that same general area around AK.... maybe even through hollowing out the just southwest of AK Steel off Oxford State Rd..... And the jobs are temporary. As in they get handed off to maybe 3-4 big contractors based in Cincy or Dayton, AK might get some steel contracts, Baker might get some concrete orders from the project, etc. When 2018 rolls around all that is left will be an undetermined mix of well-paid and not well-paid workers and another plant polluting the air. To me, overall, the costs do seem to be worth it for the small amount of benefit received. But I guess if this is the economic shot in the arm Middletown needs to put some additional capital into its retail services around Towne Mall so the Renaissance Project can gain some traction, then so be it. No way in heck this is going to influence getting a Greentree interchange or improve the quality of life in Middletown though...
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 6:41am |
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Trotwood:
I'm fairly stupid, and not nearly as smart as you, so please tell me this: Exactly how much and what kind of "pollution" will this proposed power plant produce??? EXACTLY??? |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 6:52am |
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This NATURAL GAS power plant will replace the COAL-fired power plants that are being CLOSED by the EPA!!! Isn't that a GOOD thing??? Or do YOU think we should just DO WITHOUT ELECTRICITY???
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Mike_Presta
MUSA Council
Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 6:55am |
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TROTWOOD:
I'll sit here quietly and wait until YOU answer the two above posts!!! |
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“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen 
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 9:28am |
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Mike, there are pros and cons related to NTE.
The pros are it appears as you stated, natural gas is clean, and can be converted with the turbines in a clean and efficient manner. All things being equal, it is appears having 25-30 jobs in an area unused around Dick's Creek is a good thing, although I do not get excited about the numbers of jobs, rather insignificant. Whether they end up having 10000 subcontarctors run the place remains to be seen. Of course, the executive positions stay down in Florida, as they intended, to enjoy the state tax free status. So, maybe a GM/ Plant Mgr, and an engineer or two, and 25 work a bees. Theoretically, one may predict they will sell this to a consumer like many 3rd party providers do that use Duke, and hopefully for around .04/ KWatt Hr. I pay .046 now. Let me add: I share your position Mitsubishi will own part of all of this. This is a swat team assembled to get a project moving forward before doing the hand-off (acquisition point). I suspect they will pass this to M by 2018, or have a jv. The Negatives: Few FTE's, limited impact upon taxes, albeit payroll and property. Noise- turbine will produce noise (I don't know associated with no reverse thrust but I assume some noise associated with spin cycles making electricity. Brand image- once again, Middletown is known for the area of heavy construction and pollution. Maybe the natural gas element is cleaner, and it rebrands itself as the energy capital of Ohio, similar to the area around Knoxville associated with nuclear (said with satire). Oh....another plus. Maybe now Target will stay open and the Mall expand, associated with 25 jobs appearing. Finally on taxes. I don't have the full details on the deal structure for taxes, but they may have for BOTH payroll taxes and property taxes to have been abated for 20 years. I assume it was property taxes. Payroll taxes on 25-30 jobs is frankly.....peanuts. |
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Trotwood
MUSA Resident
Joined: Jul 22 2013 Status: Offline Points: 117 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 11:14am |
Sorry, I was at work.... And I wouldn't say I was smarter than you at all haha. Anyways, you are 100% correct Mike_Presta. Burning natural gas is definitely cleaner than burning coal. No question about that whatsoever. But right now no one is producing power in Middletown. That's the issue. Middletown is becoming a magnet for undesirable industries, i.e. the type of industries that would be considered a nuisance in your typical middle-class community like Lebanon or Monroe. If you wondered why I referenced the garbage dump again above, it is because I am a stakeholder in Trotwood now. I watched as our city fought off a recent effort to put a garbage dump in about a mile southwest of downtown. I know one will be coming to the area soon.... both Stony Hollow and Mt. Rumpke are filling up fast. The issue is where and when. I'd personally rather see it go to Colerain or SW Dayton, and I'd be willing to bet you all feel the same. Middletown can do better. I know it can. It has great bones, good infrastructure, and a lot of people who care about its future (I doubt this forum would exist if that were not the case). There is no reason at all why it should become the polluted hole of poverty in the middle of an otherwise economically prosperous Butler-Warren region. So that is why, as a community, you all need to ask yourselves whether or not the costs are worth the benefit.... With this power plant, I can honestly see both sides, but I think there is a lot of risk of devaluing the community if it is built.
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Trotwood
MUSA Resident
Joined: Jul 22 2013 Status: Offline Points: 117 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 11:16am |
Excellent analysis. Couldn't have said it better myself.
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409
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 12:29pm |
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[QUOTE=Trotwood But right now no one is producing power in Middletown. That's the issue. Middletown is becoming a magnet for undesirable industries, i.e. the type of industries that would be considered a nuisance in your typical middle-class community like Lebanon or Monroe.
Trotwood... FYI...Monroe does have a power plant/peeking station on Todhunter Rd. |
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Every morning is the dawn of a new error...
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 2:24pm |
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maybe I was wrong prior(ever read that statement on this forum?)--
IF it eventually happens, would it be replacing or substituting for a a greater polluting current entity? Wow--Monroe and the adjacent residents put up a pretty good fight last time--think they would do it again to delay? Going from beautiful farmland to Sun Coke/this plant in your back yard or neighborhood would be one kick in the teeth. Exactly what revenue does the city receive from Sun Coke now, other than keeping AK around(which is huge)? |
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 2:29pm |
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Hamilton also has its own utility service for electricity, which is a bit at > .08 1000/KW. They make nearly $86 Mm annually; on 30 K consumers. Extrapolate NTE, at 400,000 users, give or take, that's about $885 Mm annually.City of Middletown should negotiate in consideration of tax concessions, they get coverage for Middletown at COST + 7%, resell it locally at 10% (3 % margin). Estimates are NTE can produce 1000 KW under .02, nice margins, and leverage lower cost to bring in new residents. The city missed a golden opportunity with iFiber and their high speed network, as a point of leverage for the community. Undoubtedly, they intend to tap into the interconnect, and resell it to Duke, or the 3rd party deal which averages about .055/ 1000 KW through Duke Retail.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 2:46pm |
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This plant apparently will not produce as much pollution as the SunCoke process and the added scrubbers used for air filtration and containment of after effects. However, my issue if I were in arguendo, a Monroe resident would be SunCoke produces electricity just for AKS; NTE for the general market. Their concern was erosion of property value associated with pollution, unknown elements in the air, et al. One would suppose they would have the same concern associated with this site, that is----property valuation loss, more so than pollution, because....at the end of the day, an industrial plant, is an industrial plant. A psychological element.Does Monroe have $1 Mm to fight this battle? Doubtful.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 5:19pm |
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Sorry to beat this NTE stuff to death, but lets put the numbers of employees in proper context.
Clark Shaeffer and Hackett (Middletown) and Casper and Casper alone, lost more employees via move or share of tax revenue, with Warren Cty (Casper), than NTE will make up if they pay tax on payroll. As Neil Barielle said, "it doesn't move the revenue needle." If they cut the utility bill by 50%, great.....but that is doubtful. Okay, giving the next Oakridge Ctr of Middletown a rest until 2018.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Neil Barille
MUSA Resident
Joined: Jul 07 2010 Status: Offline Points: 238 |
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Posted: Jan 30 2014 at 6:43pm |
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Would NTE really cause much uproar? Certainly no one could have expected that site to be used for anything by industry. It's not like a Starbucks and Panera was going there.
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swohio75
MUSA Citizen 
Joined: Jun 13 2008 Status: Offline Points: 820 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2014 at 11:06am |
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I believe (and could be wrong) Monroe’s original grounds for
the SunCoke opposition had to do with the re-zoing of the land. There were also concerns addressed to the EPA b y Monroe. The land for the proposed power plant is already zoned industrial so that's a mute point this time around. A similar project has been proposed for Middletown before by
AirProducts, though its customer base was going to be AK Steel. Can anyone with technical/engineering skills compare/contrast the two projects? http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/local/ak-steel-cancels-310m-energy-project-1/nPwBR/ |
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2014 at 1:11pm |
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Without going through past articles, I recall attorney Schiavone in Monroe filed a lawsuit to his developer associated with the re-zoning as the SunCoke property was in very close proximity to the residential neighborhood he, and others lived. Their view was devaluation of the property (theirs) was an unacceptable outcome. I am not certain how that litigation ended against the developer.On the opposite end, Monroe sued associated with the fear of pollution. They argued also on the tax credits, and SunCoke skillfully reduced its output to that number, 45 I recall, which allowed them to secure the tax credits without hindering the required output.Air Products had underground natural gas pipes, which I recall were/ or did run directly to AKS. In fact, I believe my recollection is correct, a city of Middletown employee was killed when he went inside an opening to check something, or undertake maintenance, and was killed in seconds from carbon monoxide poisoning which stemmed (if my recollection is correct), which a leaking pipe from Air Products.
Your point and NB's is correct; I doubt Monroe will fight this battle as the energy is cleaner vs the SunCoke less than stellar track record, at least in northeast Ohio, and it is zoned industrial. They'd be throwing $ away for a battle not to be one. I have heard speculation Obama is naming another Center of Excellence for Manufacturing Research in southwest Ohio like he did in Raleigh a few weeks ago. Sets up Hillary nicely, and this plant plays well to the taxation on coal production for electricity Obama and EPA are hitting the power companies with.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Jan 31 2014 at 1:44pm |
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They'd be throwing $ away for a battle not to be one.Won....not 1.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Justsayin
MUSA Immigrant 
Joined: Mar 20 2013 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 40 |
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Posted: Feb 01 2014 at 9:01am |
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There is a gas turbine plant located in Trenton. I drive by it everyday. I have never once smelled any nasty smells. You can't even tell that it is running by just looking at. Middletown was built by industry good or bad. It is what made it once a prosperous town. The departure of industry is what is killing this town. It is a fact that we need energy. What is wrong with Middletown stepping up and supplying the demand? Power plants, factories, and other industries produce jobs. These jobs allow the employees to purchase items, which in turn help local business like grocery stores, restaurants, accountants, doctors, etc. Who in turn hire more employees. It has to start somewhere. The fact is this town needs business and industry. I say thumbs up.
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spiderjohn
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749 |
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Posted: Feb 01 2014 at 10:02am |
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hard for some to swallow--but so true
Would be super to add in tech and professional offices and survices in order to give us a better up-scale mix in the community(which also benefits schools, public safety, public service volunteers etc). Still--we need the foundation of new jobs to match our current demographic of jobless but capable. Baby steps would be a beautiful beginning. Currently with our poor balance of needy vs.self-sufficient, we can't even sustain the bare minimum of geographically balanced retail/service. Face it straight on--we have gradually lost K-Mart, Dillard's Elder-Beerman, soon Sears and everything else @ Towne Mall, soon a fairly new Target, the Meadows, Capozzi, Schiavone and most other sit-down quality eateries are on life support. Dillman Foods after 51 years, McGee's after a similar good run, Marsh in Franklin and possibly in Middletown 2015. We have no flow in town--no concept of neighborhoods, neighborhood schools and small business. The core businesses in the former downtown area are there(struggling) only because they have been subsidized from their beginnings by tax money. If people don't step up and support what little is left, it will also be gone. Look in the mirroe--there is a reason that major businesses of all types(employers/providers) don't choose to locate here. Over time we have made it this way--it happens gradually, not all at once. Eventually you look around and it is all gone--over. And next to impossible to get it back/turn it around. Takes decades if at all. jmo It is not a c |
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Justsayin
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Joined: Mar 20 2013 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 40 |
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Posted: Feb 01 2014 at 11:25am |
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Baby steps Spider. Like a snow ball.
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Feb 01 2014 at 5:18pm |
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I find myself repeating the same content over the years but one supposes that is attributed to philosophy of small threads growing bigger and encompassing larger macro issues or topics. Such is the case in pt in sj's post regarding the decline of Middletown.To be clear, I think we should wake up to the plans and vision of Donham leadership. Their plans, desires, forecast, shaping, direction of Middletown, is to make it a sleeper town of about 29,000, in the image of Lebanon.Will that ever occur? I don't ever see that coming to fruition. Ever.However, with downsizing comes lower consumption with less people. Is that a trend Target saw, The Towne Mall, others? Perhaps. But the city controls its expenditures and its efforts for development. You cannot blame citizens for what has occurred since the mid 1970's to Middletown.Historically, and I have stated this many times, Doug McNeil was well known to have told many at MRH and throughout town, the hospital would : 1) Be out by the interstate or out of Middletown 2) Part of a national or regional healthcare network. I repeat---since 1992.Advancing forward, for at least 3 years before the AKS strike, the management was prepared for a strike or lockout, and the community knew an acquisition target (AK being bought- was likely).
One can follow the demise trail easily from the mid 1970's to the present. A major blunder as I have stated repeatedly, was taking temp cash from street funds to pay employees. As you call it sj, "feeding the beast." Add to that 8, potholes, demographics, brand issues, corruption, crime, and a deliberate effort by city hall to cut its population, Middletown sealed its fate nearly 35-40 years ago. It is not the lack of consumption by residents living in Middletown, it is numerous alternatives, and ease to shop. Combine that with declining population and economics of disposable income, crime, all the problems we are aware, and the shut down becomes the norm, while other communities gain. I blame that on Donham....not the citizen.
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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acclaro
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Jul 01 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1878 |
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Posted: Feb 01 2014 at 7:44pm |
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Shrinking Population, crime, potholes, shrinking wallets in Middletown, lack of forward thinking development, and citizens are to blame for retail expenditures? I don't think so: (Retailers know these numbers and effects upon p/l when opening storefronts)
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'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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409
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014 |
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Posted: Feb 02 2014 at 6:48am |
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From MJ:
Pending Supreme Court decision has implications for Middletown plant By Steve Bennish Staff Writer To get a better idea of why a Florida energy company would propose to build a $500 million natural gas-burning power plant in Middletown, look no further than a U.S. Supreme Court decision that’s due later this year. In December, the court heard 90 minutes of oral arguments over whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exceeded its authority when it issued a cross-state air pollution rule in 2011. Many analysts, in part based on questions asked by the justices, suspect the court will end up backing the EPA, and that would thrust Ohio’s coal-burning power plants into a new world of greater regulatory pressure. Seventy-eight percent of electric demand in Ohio is satisfied with coal combustion. EPA estimates that if applied, the rule would cost energy utilities $800 million annually to install pollution controls on plants. That could push the energy market into greater reliance on natural gas, which is now being found in abundance in Ohio’s Utica Shale formation. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution from coal burning is carried long distances, and the pollutants react with other substances to form smog and soot. The cross-border pollution, governors in the East Coast states say, has prevented many cities from complying with health-based standards set by law. NTE Energy’s proposal is to build a natural gas-fired power plant near the intersection of Cincinnati-Dayton and Oxford State roads that would generate more than 500 megawatts of electric power, enough to supply approximately 400,000 homes. The company’s timeline calls for operations to begin in 2018. Tim Eves, Senior Vice President of Development for NTE, said expected coal plant closures, growing demand following the recession and the regulatory environment contribute to the company’s decision. “The impact of the air regulations definitely have an impact on the generation that is built,” he said. The EPA’s rule targeted pollution from power plants in 28 states that drifts above states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Texas led 14 states and industry groups in challenging the rule in court. Most downwind states support it. When natural gas burns, it produces half as much carbon dioxide, less than a third as much nitrogen oxides, and one percent as much sulfur oxides as coal, according to the EPA. In 2012, half the additions to the U.S. electric grid were from renewable sources and the other half from natural gas, said Bill Spratley, Executive Director of Green Energy Ohio, a Columbus-based promoter of renewable energy. “From a renewable standpoint, a good partner is natural gas. We will have this supply a long time,” he said. “I think you will see more of this.” |
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Every morning is the dawn of a new error...
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409
Prominent MUSA Citizen
Joined: Mar 27 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1014 |
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Posted: Feb 02 2014 at 6:51am |
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From MJ:
Energy plant to bring jobs, revenue to region By Chelsey Levingston and Rick McCrabb Staff Writer MIDDLETOWN — It’s nearly impossible to put a dollar amount on the economic impact the $500 million power plant would have on the Middletown community, financial experts said. But they said the Middletown region certainly would benefit from the power plant that NTE Energy LLC of St. Augustine, Fla., publicly announced Tuesday that it wants to build near Oxford State and Cincinnati Dayton roads. NTE Energy’s proposal is to build a plant running on natural gas on 50 acres that would generate more than 500 megawatts of electric power, which could supply approximately 400,000 homes, company officials said. If everything goes as planned, construction of the new power plant, called the Middletown Energy Center, will create 300 to 400 jobs, and once open in 2018, 25 to 30 permanent operator and maintenance technician jobs, and provide a cleaner source of energy to the region’s electricity supplies, said Tim Eves, senior vice president of development for NTE Energy. Eves said the company is spending “a lot of money on development.” The project does not qualify to receive state tax credits, according to the Dayton Development Coalition. However, Middletown officials said they anticipate NTE will request a 20-year property tax abatement from the city. Hiring will not start until at least this time next year. Company officials said the positions will be “good-paying jobs that you can support a family on.” That has the possibility to create “a potential economic boom” for the city, said Janice Kinghorn, an economics professor at Miami University Middletown. “These will be good-paying jobs, stable jobs.” She said the plant could be the “catalyst to move the economy in the right direction” because it may spur additional business in the area. City officials, construction union representatives, Middletown residents and business owners agree. The timing of the announcement that NTE Energy chose Middletown to build one of its three power plants — the other two are in Texas and North Carolina — in the United States, was perfect for the cash-strapped city. In recent years, the Manchester Inn, once considered the city’s “gem,” has closed and is on the market; the city is trying to sell its golf course, Weatherwax Golf Course, because of budget concerns; Target announced it was closing the Middletown store location in the spring because of poor sales; and Finish Line recently closed inside the Towne Mall Galleria. The news couldn’t be coming at a better time considering the city’s employment health. Ten years ago, on average, there were 24,200 Middletown residents working and the unemployment rate in the city was 6.3 percent, according to the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services. Last year, on average, there were 21,900 Middletown residents working and the unemployment rate was 7.7 percent. Then the city received “a shot in the arm” last week, said Les Landen, the city’s law director. Once the power plant is open, Landen said between $2 million to $2.5 million in wages will generate $35,000 to $40,000 in payroll taxes for the city. “Is that number huge? No,” Landen said. “But economic development is a long and slow process. It’s a step, a good step.” When asked if he could attach an economic value to the plant, Landen said, “There’s more to things than just numbers.” He was quick to point out that when the construction workers are in town, they will spend money at hotels, restaurants, and gas stations. And if the permanent workers are from out of town, they will need to buy homes or rent apartments, he said. He said the plant is “a great opportunity for the community” because it will provide high-tech jobs, what he called “exactly the type of jobs we’re trying to attract.” Once known as a steel town, Middletown hopes to move in “a different direction,” Landen said. Are there any negatives regarding the power plant? “Nothing jumps out at us,” Landen said. Then he mentioned increased traffic along Oxford State Road, which already is heavily traveled because of AK Steel. “You can always find negatives,” he said. “But the positives so outweigh the negatives.” David Fehr, Butler County director of development, added: “We look at it as something positive. Nobody wants one of those in their backyard, but this is a fairly well-established industrial area. It should be a fairly good neighbor for the community.” Landen said the company’s decision to build in Middletown shows that the city is “a great place to be and to build.” Then he added: “This is a positive piece in the puzzle. It shows that we want to move forward and we are a place where people want to be.” Rick Pearce, president of the Chamber of Commerce Serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, believes once the plant opens it will “put our area on the map when people hear about this new clean energy process. It will draw attention to us. It will have a positive impact on the area.” Denise Hamet, the city’s economic development director, said the project was “very significant” for the city because an outside company contacted Middletown and said, “We want to be here.” She said the deal is a “win” for the city and “that’s what we are looking at.” In the last few weeks, as negotiations turned serious and company representatives met with city officials, Hamet said the company said they wanted to be part of the community. They asked how they could help the local school district, she said. She said the keys to a successful partnership are “collaboration and connection,” and the company “saw potential in the community.” Dave Burrows, director of economic development programs for Dayton Development Coalition, called the proposed plan “a huge investment.” When asked about the Middletown location, he said: “Logistically it’s a great place and it’s in the midst of multiple energy sources.” More job creation is happening 30 jobs at a time, Burrows told the Journal-News in a 2013 interview. “You will see more companies in the 25 to 100 jobs rather than the 500 to 2,000 jobs, although we’re trying to get those,” Burrows said. But new job announcements for more than 500 positions at a time are “few and far between.” At Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, the number of employees the last 10 years has risen from 1,470 to 1,581, according to hospital officials. Since the lockout at AK Steel nearly eight years ago, the number of union members at the Middletown Works has dropped from 2,700 to 1,700 and there are about 2,100 union and salaried workers in Middletown. Chris Webster, business agent for Plumber Pipefitters and Mechanical Local 392 in Cincinnati, said he was “astounded” when he read in the newspaper that the power plant was wanting to build in Middletown. “It’s a great thing for the Middletown area,” he said. “This will be a major job.” He said his company has heard “bits and pieces” and had “feelers” about the power plant wanting to use union workers. The estimated cost to build the power plant — $500 million — would represent the largest business investment in Butler County in recent years, bigger than the approximately $400 million SunCoke Energy coke plant built in Middletown to supply AK Steel Holding Corp. SunCoke Energy Middletown opened at the end of 2011. The proposed power plant is also a larger capital investment than the current mega-retail project in the pipeline in Liberty Twp. at the intersection of Interstate 75 and Ohio 129. Columbus developer Steiner + Associates is supposed to start construction this year of Liberty Center, a mixed retail, entertainment, dining and housing center that would cost more than $300 million in its first phase of development. “What makes (NTE Energy) so expensive is all the equipment,” Fehr said. “That helps the local economy because even if parts come from all around the world, locally you have to buy steel, piping, insulation and bricks, for example.” The chance to bring any new jobs to the city was welcome news, especially for businesses near the plant’s site. Erica Kuhbander, new owner of Shear Kaos Salon, 1300 Cincinnati Dayton Road, just down the street from the proposed site, said the plant “sounds good for the community. I hope any new business, they use local contractors. That’s the main thing.” Roland Whitaker, licensed master barber/owner of Family Barber and Beauty Shop, 2907 Cincinnati Dayton Road, said while the plant isn’t scheduled to open until 2018, the jobs it’s expected to create “sure is good news.” Middletown council member Anita Scott Jones added: “This is exactly the type of economic development we need to bring to the city with the number of jobs and the type of business.” |
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Posted: Feb 02 2014 at 6:52am |
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MIDDLETOWN ENERGY CENTER NEXT STEPS
NTE Energy LLC of St. Augustine, Fla., announced Tuesday plans to build a power plant fueled by natural gas in Middletown. It is only the beginning stages of what’s likely to be a more than year-long vetting process. Among the hurdles still to clear are: •Final sale of the property •Apply for Ohio Power Siting Board certification •Apply for air permit from Ohio Environmental Protection Agency •Hold a public information meeting near the project location •Sign contracts to buy natural gas supplies and contracts to sell electricity to utility customers •Hire an engineering, procurement and construction company to design and build the plant •Obtain building and zoning permits from the city of Middletown |
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