HANGING ROCK - Area citizens had the chance to tell the state’s Power Siting Board their feelings about the proposed Duke Energy Power Plant seeking a site in Hamilton Township.

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

HANGING ROCK - Area citizens had the chance to tell the state’s Power Siting Board their feelings about the proposed Duke Energy Power Plant seeking a site in Hamilton Township.

Administrative Law Judge Greta See conducted the public hearing on behalf of the siting board last night at Rock Hill Elementary No. 2. At the meeting, community members packed the school’s gymnasium and went on record to voice their opinion about the plant’s plans to locate to the area.

For the most part, those in attendance were in support of the power plant’s plans of locating in the county.

County Commissioner Jason Stephens said he supported the plant because opening the site will "increase our community’s morale, provide a tremendous economic boost to the area and lower property taxes for thousands of taxpayers in the Rock Hill School District."

Stephens told the judge the county has "suffered several job losses over the past two years and the spirit of the people has been lifted by the possibility of such a large investment as the proposed power plant by Duke Energy."

Stephens also called the construction of the plant a "shot in the arm" to the county’s economic base. He said the 350 to 400 construction jobs – jobs that will be filled by local union workers, which has caused the proposed construction to gain the support of local building and trades organizations and organized labor groups – will cause a trickle down effect in the county.

He said the impact of these jobs, plus the 25 long-term jobs once the plant is open, will benefit other businesses in the community such as the retail industry.

Stephens also said that Duke’s verbal tax abatement agreement with the county will benefit county taxpayers, especially those in the Rock Hill School District. Duke has proposed to pay $3.7 million – the taxpayers portion of the new schools being built in the Rock Hill School District – 19 years early.

"I hope," Stephens said, "Duke Energy will be our neighbor and part of our community for a long time."

Rock Hill School District assistant superintendent Sam Hall echoed Stephens support for the plant.

Hall said the community and the students will benefit from the power plants location in the district. He called the company’s proposal a "win-win" situation.

Duke Energy has proposed building a natural-gas fired power production facility in the township. Duke representative Chuck Claunch said the company is the 10th largest energy company in the world.

Duke officials and the siting board met this morning in Columbus in an open hearing to discuss the legal side of the matter. According to Judge See, the meeting this morning will review the applications and permits needed for the construction. See reminded residents that the earliest the siting board could come to a conclusion would be in September.

As of presstime, the information from this hearing was not available.