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Midland Power Plant Owners Apply For Expansion

MIDLAND -- MCV Holding Co. LLC, the parent company of Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership, Wednesday applied to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for an air permit for the installation of a  640 megawatt combined-cycle natural-gas-fired power plant to be located at the MCV site in Midland.

MCV currently owns and operates a 1,630 MW combined-cycle natural-gas-fired plant at its Midland site.

If the MDEQ approves the application, construction could begin as early as the end of this year, with commercial operation starting in 2015.

As many as 500 construction jobs could be created during peak construction of this project and 20 permanent jobs could be added once the plant goes into commercial operation. The indirect impact on job creation is expected to be substantial. Estimates for indirect jobs range as high as 800 during construction and 28 permanent positions.

Roger Kelley, MCV's President and CEO, said, "This is a very important project for Midland, mid-Michigan and the Midwest, creating needed jobs, stimulating economic development, and solidifying Midland as a key energy center in the region."

With Consumers Energy Co. and other power generators announcing the closure or mothballing of coal-fired power plants in the Midwest, as well as the permanent cancellation of the proposed 750 MW coal-fired Mid-Michigan Energy Station slated for Midland, Kelley added that "this project helps to assure the reliability and availability of power to meet existing and future demand for energy by our existing customers, which include Dow Chemical and help Michigan continue on its path of recovery from the recession."

MCV's power plant is one of the largest gas-fired cogeneration projects in the United States. The plant is currently capable of producing approximately 1,630 MW of electricity and up to 1.5 million pounds per hour of process steam for industrial use. MCV has been in commercial operation since 1990 serving Dow Chemical, Consumers Energy and Dow Corning Corp. with steam and electricity.

MCV's current electrical capacity represents approximately 10 percent of the power consumption for Michigan's Lower Peninsula and is a critical energy resource that enhances reliability of the electric system within Michigan. According to Kelley, MCV has met its energy commitments to Dow Chemical virtually 100 percent of the time and over 99.5 percent of the time to Consumers Energy.

"MCV employees have demonstrated their superior operating performance and commitment to safety since 1990 and I have every confidence that we will operate this new plant just as capably," Kelley said.

MCV Holding Company LLC is owned by subsidiaries of EQT Infrastructure Limited, a Swedish private equity firm, and Fortistar, an owner of power plants based in White Plains, N.Y.

More at www.fortistar.com.

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