Entergy Texas has placed its 1,215 MW Orange County Advanced Power Station (OCAPS) into commercial service, adding dispatchable generation capacity to support rising electricity demand in Southeast Texas.
The combined-cycle gas-fired plant is designed to adjust output in response to changing demand, including during periods of high summer and winter consumption. Its technology captures heat that would otherwise be wasted to generate additional electricity, improving fuel efficiency compared with less efficient generation configurations.
Entergy Texas expects the facility to help meet forecast growth in electricity use across its service area, which the company projects will increase by approximately 13% between 2024 and 2028. The region is experiencing population growth alongside new commercial and industrial development.
The utility estimates that OCAPS could generate more than US$1 billion in customer savings over time through lower fuel and operating costs. The savings are projections rather than realised results; the company did not provide a timeframe or detailed assumptions for the estimate.
“OCAPS helps us deliver even more of the safe and reliable power they deserve in a cost-effective manner,” said David Borde, CEO of Entergy Texas.
The plant is part of Entergy Texas’s wider Southeast Texas Energy Plan, known as STEP Ahead, which includes investment in generation, transmission infrastructure and other grid improvements intended to strengthen reliability and resilience.
Located in the Golden Triangle area, the facility adds generation capacity in a region exposed to severe weather, including hurricanes and winter storms. Entergy Texas said the new plant would help support reliable service as electricity demand grows.
