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March 1 vendor forum reminder
LCRA and Fluor will host a vendor forum Thursday, March 1, at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion in Marble Falls to look for potential subcontractors and suppliers to help with the Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant Replacement Project. The pavilion is located at 307 Buena Vista Drive in Marble Falls. Fluor is the project contractor for the Ferguson Replacement Project.
LCRA plans to replace its 37-year-old Ferguson plant near Horseshoe Bay with a new natural gas-fired power plant that will be one of the most efficient and environmentally responsible electric generating facilities operating in Texas.
The 540-megawatt combined-cycle natural gas plant will use significantly less fuel than a traditional gas-fired plant by combining a gas-turbine system and a steam-cycle system to generate electricity. The combination of the cycles creates a highly efficient power plant with lower fuel costs and fewer emissions.
LCRA encourages its contractors to involve as many local businesses as possible through qualified and cost-effective suppliers and subcontractors. Anyone interested in attending the vendor forums can register for free online at www.lcra.org/fergusonreplacement or call Al Beavers at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 3278.
Save the date for open houses May 3 and May 10
LCRA and Fluor will host open houses on May 3 and May 10 for the public to learn more about the Ferguson Replacement Project. The May 3 open house will take place in Horseshoe Bay at the Quail Point Community Center, 107 Twilight Lane. The May 10 open house will take place in Marble Falls at the Lakeside Pavilion, 307 Buena Vista Drive. Watch for e-newsletter updates as more information is available. Check the Ferguson Replacement Project website for updates at www.lcra.org/fergusonreplacement.
Job fair
Fluor also plans to host a job fair this spring. The job fair will give individuals with particular job skills an opportunity to talk with Fluor representatives and learn how to apply for jobs.
Letters to adjacent landowners
Fluor recently sent notification letters to landowners and published a notice regarding its required application under LCRA's Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance for the Ferguson Replacement Project site. The development area covered by Fluor's application includes improvements to Ferguson Road, Fluor's laydown area for the construction site and the construction site itself immediately adjacent to the existing plant. LCRA implemented the Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance to protect water quality throughout the Highland Lakes region. An application for development within the ordinance area is required to protect water quality and prevent creek erosion.
See computer-generated illustrations of the Ferguson Replacement Project
Fluor has completed several computer-generated illustrations of how the new Ferguson Replacement Project will look. Fluor created the images using photos of the existing Thomas C. Ferguson Power Plant and then replaced the existing plant with computer-generated graphics of the new one. The resulting illustrations impose the new power plant on the location of the current one.
Large versions of the designs will be available for the public to view during open houses that LCRA and Fluor will host May 3 and May 10.
Scheduled construction activities
During the week of Feb. 20, LCRA crews plan to remove dead trees between Ferguson Road and the location where the new north gate entrance to the plant site will be constructed. LCRA staff will inspect each tree and will transplant the live trees from construction areas to other locations on the site. Fluor is scheduled to begin installing perimeter fences and erosion controls in mid- to late March. Shortly after the fencing is in place, Fluor will construct a guard house at the construction entrance and begin ground preparation.
Transmission upgrades and other nearby projects
Horseshoe Bay residents have likely been noticing activity related to electric transmission upgrades near the plant and Wirtz Dam. These projects will increase capacity of the lines to address growing electric demand in the region. They are not related to the new plant nor are they associated with Competitive Renewable Energy Zone projects (the Public Utility Commission's response to a public mandate to increase renewable energy in Texas to serve the electric needs in the state).
Crews will begin removing old wire the week of Feb. 20. LCRA recently mailed letters to nearby landowners notifying them of the upcoming work, which includes replacing some of the transmission line structures. All construction is scheduled to be completed in June.
LCRA will continue to update neighboring communities on significant developments related to the Ferguson Replacement Project and other projects in the area that may affect them. For more on the project, click here.
E-newsletter updates
LCRA will send email updates on construction activities to people who have signed up to receive its free electronic newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, to register a business as a potential vendor or to learn more about the project, see www.lcra.org/fergusonreplacement.
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