Constellation to Add Rhode Island Plant to Gas-Powered Assets

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Constellation's announced acquisition of Calpine is the latest move in the company's long-term plan to expand its customer reach.

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More Gas-Fired Generation on the Way

Constellation Energy Corporation recently agreed to acquire RISEC Holdings LLC from a subsidiary of Shell plc for $715 million. This is the latest effort from Constellation to expand its fleet, following its acquisition of Calpine Corporation in January. Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than $20 billion worth of active and proposed projects from Constellation, more than $7 billion of which is attributed to projects for gas-fired power generation.

RISEC is owner of the Rhode Island State Energy Center in Johnston, Rhode Island, a natural gas-fired, combined-cycle (NGCC) power station with 596 megawatts (MW) of operational capacity. Constellation says the plant can generate up to 609 MW, and it sells the output into the ISO New England wholesale power market.

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the RISEC plant in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Plant Database, where readers can find details--including key contacts and a list of service agreements--in a plant profile.

"As Constellation's business in New England grows, we need a reliable asset that is well-positioned on both the electric grid and the natural gas pipeline system," said Joe Dominguez, the chief executive officer of Constellation, in a press release. "RISEC checks all of these boxes."

Constellation did not provide an estimated closing date for the RISEC acquisition, but the company said it "is expected to close following receipt of customary regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other closing conditions. Until closing, RISEC will continue to operate under its current ownership."

According to Industrial Info Resources data, Constellation's other gas-fired power-generation efforts include a proposed expansion of its Wolf Hollow II Power Station in Granbury, Texas, which currently generates up to 1,231 MW from two simple-cycle units. A third unit would add 300 MW of output. Readers can learn more from a detailed plant profile and project report.

By the Numbers

• More than $20 billion: Total investment value of projects from Constellation, according to Industrial Info Resources data
• 596 MW: Output of the Rhode Island State Energy Center, which Constellation will acquire as part of its deal for RISEC
• 549 MW: Projected capacity of Constellation's proposed Moundsville Energy Center in West Virginia

Reviving a Once-Dead PJM Project

As part of its acquisition of Calpine from Energy Capital Partners, Constellation inherited a long-dormant project: the Moundsville Energy Center in Moundsville, West Virginia, which is designed to generate 549 MW through an NGCC configuration. The project was permitted in 2014, but it never reached the construction phase as demand slowed in the PJM Interconnection region.

With the PJM now revising its demand forecast amid what it called "large, unanticipated load changes" in its 2025 Long-Term Load Forecast Report, fueled largely by the buildout of data centers, the Moundsville project has been championed by West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and other advocates for more dispatchable capacity.

The Moundville project remains in its permitting phases, with the potential to begin construction as early as mid-2028. Readers can learn more from a detailed plant profile and project report.

But as it builds its gas-fired fleet, Constellation remains the owner of the largest U.S.-based nuclear fleet, with more than 19,000 MW of operational nuclear-generation capacity. The company is planning a modernization of Unit 2 at its Limerick Nuclear Power Station in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, which involves replacing analog components with digital protection systems. Readers can learn more from a plant profile and project report.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for active and proposed projects from Constellation.

Key Takeaways

• Constellation Energy recently agreed to acquire the owner of the Rhode Island State Energy Center.
• This marks one of many moves by Constellation to expand its gas-fired fleet.
• Constellation remains the owner of the largest U.S.-based nuclear fleet.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).