Hickory Run Energy Center Wins Top Plant Award
Collaboration Brings the Energy for Pennsylvania Community
October 1, 2021 | Darrell Proctor, POWER Magazine
It took a team effort, led by Kiewit as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor, to overcome numerous challenges and build a 1,000-MW natural gas-fired facility that has sparked a regional renaissance.
A power plant often provides a region with more than just electricity. A large generation facility can also be an economic engine for an entire community.
The Hickory Run Energy Center (Figure 1, and above), a 1,000-MW natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant, has proven to be just that for Lawrence County in Pennsylvania. Tyr Energy LLC is the asset manager for the plant, located in New Castle in North Beaver Township, about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The facility has been a driving force behind more than $1 billion in capital investment projects in the county over the past few years, providing even more of a boost to the local economy after coming online in May 2020.
Hickory Run is contributing to a rebound in manufacturing in the New Castle area, a region with a rich industrial history, starting with iron and brick works in the mid-1800s and continuing for many years as a hub for iron and steel. The area for a time was known as the “Fireworks Capital of America,” during a period when more fireworks were produced in Lawrence County than anywhere else in the U.S., and the industry remains important to the region. New Castle was known as the “Hot Dog Capital of the World,” owing to the popularity of the chili dogs produced by Greek immigrants who settled in the area.
The area today is known as a regional banking hub, and its location near several major highways—along with the power provided by Hickory Run—is supporting a manufacturing renaissance. The plant’s importance to the region, along with the perseverance of its builders in overcoming construction obstacles, has led POWER to recognize it with a Top Plant award.
