Idled lignite-fueled power plant being converted to natural gas fuel

HALLSVILLE, Texas (KSLA) — Some East Texans may have been hearing loud explosions in the Marshall-Hallsville area.

“Yes, I can feel it in the house,” resident Jessie Brown said. “I remember the first time I felt it. I had like a little vase next to my bed and it started shaking, my window started to shake, the bed started shaking and I was like, no, a tornado.”

SWEPCO says there’s no need to worry. The explosions are planned.

The utility has demolition underway at the Henry W. Pirkey Power Plant in Hallsville in preparation for converting the idled lignite-fueled facility to natural gas fuel.

The scheduled demolitions have been going on since October.

People are hearing “… the noises as a result of that periodically as we take down a structure, as equipment is demolished,” SWEPCO spokeswoman Michelle Marcotte said. “And we are expecting, we are almost completely through with the demolition work. The majority of it is completed.”

“… The crews that are doing the work are, you know, working safely and, you know, they might be completely done with this last demolition that occurred today,” she added.

Construction of the natural gas plant is expected to bring more than 200 jobs to the ArkLaTex.

And pending regulatory approval, the converted plant is scheduled to begin operation in 2027.

Tune in to KSLA News 12 at 10, when we’ll tell you the benefits of the natural gas plant and what it will mean for Hallsville and the rest of the ArkLaTex.

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