The American Electric Power (AEP) subsidiary has proposed adding a 450-Megawatt (MW) natural gas plant to be located at the previously retired H.W. Pirkey Power Plant site in Hallsville, Texas. The new Hallsville plant is expected to come online in 2027, pending approval from utility regulators in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. According to regulatory filings submitted December 17, the facility would feature two GE combustion gas turbine generators and utilize existing water intake structures and site infrastructure to minimize project costs, SWEPCO said.

The utility is also planning a coal-to-gas conversion project at the Welsh Power Plant, located northwest of Cason, Texas. The 1,053 MW project would convert the existing coal-fired boilers of Units 1 and 3 to burn natural gas, with Unit 1 conversion anticipated in 2028 and Unit 3 in 2027.

Natural gas currently accounts for 48% of SWEPCO’s existing power generation portfolio. Due to the evolving reserve requirements set by the Southwest Power Pool, SWEPCO anticipates an increasing capacity need.

In addition to the projects mentioned above, SWEPCO has selected a short-term capacity agreement with a natural gas-fired plant in Texas as part of a competitive bid process. The company said this agreement would serve as a bridge to more permanent resource additions.

SWEPCO continues construction on multiple renewable energy projects. The largest one, the 598 MW Wagon Wheel Wind Facility, spans five counties in Oklahoma and is expected to be operational in December 2025.

The 200 MW Diversion Wind Farm, located in Baylor County, Texas, is scheduled to begin operations this month.

SWEPCO’s first utility-scale solar farm, the 72.5 MW Rocking R Solar Facility, is also nearing completion in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. SWEPCO will not own the facility and will instead purchase the electricity generated via a purchase power agreement.

Work has continued to dismantle the stacks and boiler of the in Hallsville, Texas-based coal-fired plant to pave the way for future development.

H.W. Pirkey began operations on Jan. 3, 1985. The 675 MW plant was named after Henry W. Pirkey, Jr., SWEPCO president from 1965 to 1972. Pirkey was SWEPCO’s first lignite-fired power plant. 

The plant was retired in spring 2023 after 38 years of service.

 In January, the American Electric Power (AEP) subsidiary announced three Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for additional generation and capacity resources to supply the needs of its customers and comply with Southwest Power Pool’s planning reserve margin requirements.  

Competitive reviews are underway and could include resources of up to 2,100 MW of accredited capacity through a range of generation sources, including natural gas, wind, solar and storage resources. 

SWEPCO is requesting proposals for these resources through purchase and sale agreements (PSA), power purchase agreements (PPA) and capacity purchase agreements (CPA).  

Once proposals are selected from the three RFPs, SWEPCO will seek necessary regulatory approvals. 

When the plant’s retirement was initially planned in 2020, SWEPCO and the Pirkey Plant partnered with the Just Transition Fund to form the Pirkey Transition Task Force, consisting of over two dozen local leaders, organizations, school districts, and business owners. The task force met bi-weekly to gather data, set priorities, engage the community, and develop an action plan.