Construction is underway on three new natural gas turbines at City Utilities’ McCartney Generating Station in northeast Springfield. The new turbines will provide 150 megawatts of locally generated power for the community, according to CU. They’ll be able to run on natural gas, fuel oil or hydrogen and can start producing electricity in around five minutes, which will be important when demand is high.
“The new turbines will strengthen our ability to provide reliable, locally generated power now and for the future," said CU President/CEO Dwayne Fulk at a groundbreaking Tuesday.
The project is part of a larger initiative to expand CU’s power generation and storage, according to the utility company. City Utilities is also adding 36 megawatts of battery storage – five megawatts near the Blackman Water Treatment Plant and 31 megawatts at James River Power Station.
Two electric rate adjustments recently approved by Springfield City Council will help fund the projects. Those include a 3% increase to go into effect in April 2027 and a 3.6% increase in April 2028.