CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Chesterfield residents gathered Sunday to voice their concerns as well as learn about a proposed natural gas plant in the county.
The townhall was hosted by State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D — 15) at the Beulah Recreation Center.
Dominion Energy announced plans over the summer to build the 1,000-megawatt power plant that would be used as means of generating electricity in cases of extreme weather.
Proposed plans call the for plant to be a "peaker plant," meaning it would be used during weather events like cold snaps, which can cause serious demand for energy resources and put a strain on pre-existing gas supplies.
The plant would create new jobs and millions of dollars in revenue, according to officials with the energy company.
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However, the proposed plant has Chesterfield split as many sought answers on costs and benefits.
"It's important because many of the residents in Chesterfield that I've talked to you about this particular issue, haven't had a whole lot of opportunities, find out more information about it," Jason Woodby, a founding member of Friends of Chesterfield County, said.
Julius Huggins, who also lives in Chesterfield, said he knows the project would create jobs, but thinks environmental concerns are also important.
"We care about our children's future we need to be talking about situations like this because it's going to affect them going into the future," Huggins said. "So hearing both sides I think that's the key, and they listen to the people from there."
Construction could start as early as 2025 with the power plant officially up and running in 2027.
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