The $600m plant, which has replaced the existing three-unit, 575MW coal-fired plant, features new technology and air quality controls, significantly reducing emissions than those of the coal plant.
Duke Energy Progress Sutton plant manager Allen Clare said the company continues to transform its power plant fleet, while maintaining its focus on generating electricity that is both reliable and affordable.
"Our new natural gas plant is another stride forward in meeting customer needs using highly efficient, increasingly clean energy sources," added Clare.
Earlier in June 2010, the company has received approval from the North Carolina Utilities Commission to develop the plant at the Sutton plant.
The company has built several advanced natural gas and coal plants in North Carolina and Indiana in the last ten years with an investment of $9bn and these new plants will allow it to retire around 6,800MW of older coal and large oil-fired units.
Of the total capacity being retired, coal-fired accounts for around 6,300MW with 3,800MW of that capacity will have retired by the end of 2013.
The existing Sutton plant’s three coal-fired power units started operations in 1954, 1955 and 1972, respectively.
The company will now begin decommissioning activity at the existing plant shortly that will include safely deconstructing the units and closing the site’s coal ash basins to protect groundwater.
