A public hearing on Duke Energy’s plan to build two new power plants to replace its soon-to-retire Asheville coal plant will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the Buncombe Count Courthouse in Asheville. 

Initially, Duke had planned to replace the coal plant with a 650-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant and 45-mile transmission line to Campobello, South Carolina. The plan drew opposition from people who felt that the transmission line be a blight on the mountain landscape.

In response, the utility revised its proposal to eliminate the transmission line. It wants to build two 280-megawatt units and potentially a third 193-megawatt unit in 2023 if demand at the time warrants it. 

Environmental advocates have praised the new plan as a vast improvement over the initial proposal while questioning size of the project, especially the provision for a third unit.

“Duke has told the public that they are looking for cleaner alternatives, then they turn around and ask the public utilities commission for permission to build the additional unit seven years before they say it might be necessary,” said Julie Mayfield, co-director of MountainTrue. 

However, according to Duke’s regional president Lloyd Yates, the plan “balances concerns raised by the community and the very real need for more electricity to serve this growing region.”