Charah® Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of environmental services and byproduct sales to the power generation industry, today announced that it has completed its acquisition of the Texas Municipal Power Agency’s (TMPA) Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station and Reservoir in Grimes County, Texas (“Gibbons Creek”) and will begin remediation and redevelopment of the property. TMPA, which was created to supply electricity on a wholesale basis to its member cities of Bryan, Denton, Garland and Greenville, operated Gibbons Creek from its construction in 1982 until 2018. The transaction was approved by the TMPA board and four member cities in a series of board meetings and city council meetings held throughout January.
As part of this agreement, Charah Solutions, through its subsidiary Gibbons Creek Environmental Redevelopment Group, LLC (GCERG), now owns the 6,166 acre area which includes the closed power station and adjacent property, the 3,500 acre reservoir, dam and spillway. GCERG will be responsible for the shutdown and decommissioning of the coal power plant as well as performing all environmental remediation work for the site landfills and ash ponds.
GCERG plans to redevelop the property in an environmentally conscious manner that will expand economic activity and benefit the surrounding communities through job creation, promotion of industry, support of the tax base, as well as restoring the property to a state that will enable it to be put to its best potential use. The existing power plant will be demolished, and potential redevelopment uses for the property include solar, battery, and energy storage options which utilize the existing transmission system, maximization of the reservoir’s potential, re-use of the vast rail system, and other industrial uses. GCERG will also work with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to complete all environmental remediation required for the property and then plans to redevelop the remediated property within all zoning restrictions. The redevelopment of the property is expected to be completed within 36 months. It is planned that the Gibbons Creek Reservoir RV Park and campground will continue to operate.
As a sustainability leader in utility services for over 30 years, Charah Solutions is dedicated to preserving natural resources in an environmentally conscious manner through projects such as this with TMPA. Sustainability is a Charah Solutions core value, and the Company focuses its business on developing innovative solutions to complex environmental issues for the betterment of the planet, the communities in which it operates and its customers.
According to Scott Sewell, Charah Solutions President and CEO, “Our Environmental Risk Transfer services are innovative solutions designed by Charah Solutions to meet the evolving and increasingly complex needs of our utility partners. Many utilities are experiencing an increased need to retire and decommission older or less economically viable generating assets while minimizing costs and maximizing the value of the assets and improving the environment. This is a perfect example of Charah Solutions providing a custom approach for these complex projects, as we are able to provide not only the environmental remediation expertise needed to meet regulations but redevelop the property in an environmentally-responsible way while creating local jobs and lowering the cost for our utility partner. By matching the right potential buyers to the right assets, we plan to achieve the greatest possible outcome for the property and the surrounding communities.”
“GCERG has been working with TMPA for many months on this purchase, and they have investigated many possibilities for the property’s future to maximize the value of the assets and improve the environment as well as contribute to the surrounding communities and the local economy,”said Bob Kahn, TMPA General Manager. “We are pleased to work with Charah Solutions to reduce the environmental risk and costs for TMPA and its member cities and ratepayers while redeveloping the plant and property to expand economic activity and support the tax base, including the Grimes County Schools.”