Governor attends Duke#039;s ribbon-cutting

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 1, 2003

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - Every time 2-year-old Lauren Goff looks at Duke Energy, located across the road from her home, she thinks of one person - her daddy.

"She looks out and says, 'Hi Daddy's work,'" said Megan Goff, Lauren's mother and Bill Goff's wife.

Wednesday, state and local leaders, including Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, attended Duke Energy's ribbon-cutting ceremony, touting it as the beginning of bringing more economic growth and jobs for people like Lauren's father.

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The $600 million facility produces 765,000 volts, employing one of the largest lines in the country, which is owned by American Electric Power. Power Block 1, the first half of the plant, began commercial operation June 10 and the second half began operations July 14. The plant was not expected to be fully operational until Aug. 3, so the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the plant was scheduled later to make sure everything was completed.

"It's hard to believe we got it here so quickly," said Bill Lindsey, project manager during the power plant's construction.

The plant now employs 29 people, and Lindsey complimented the quality of the 1,900 construction workers, mostly from Lawrence County and nearby areas, who helped build the plant.

Lawrence County's quality workforce, Taft said, is one of the keys to further economic development. Southern Ohio, he said, has been a target for economic development at the state level. The Aug. 14 blackout, which crippled the northeastern United States, including northern Ohio, drives home the point that more safe, reliable and affordable energy is needed, he said.

Fortunately, Southern Ohio was unaffected by the outage, Taft said.

Heavy industry is also dependent upon energy produced at plants like Duke, and having an energy plant nearby makes this area more attractive to them, Taft said. Even if employers are not industrial, they will still need an adequate power supply to operate, he said.

Taft also lauded the local officials who worked to see the plant built in this area.

"It could have been outside our state, but Ohio came out on top," he said.

Instead of taxes, Duke will contribute roughly $14 million over a 13-year period to local government entities. The first payment was made late last year. The Rock Hill School District received $3.7 million - enough to pay off its bond levy for the construction of two new schools and the renovation of the middle school.

County Commissioner Jason Stephens said Duke Energy will eventually be one of the county's biggest taxpayers, and is now one of the county's biggest donors to government entities. Besides the tax abatement, Duke Energy was also attracted to the county by its property taxes, which are lower compared to other communities.

Stephens also noted how amazing that in such a short period of time, Lawrence County would have one of the most modern power plants in the country.

"Who ever thought it would be done in Lawrence County?" he said.

"When Duke Energy came into the picture and offered to settle our bond debt, it was fantastic for the district," said Rock Hill Board of Education President Jackie Harris. "We're glad Duke Energy is in the community. They're a good neighbor who has demonstrated from the first day that they were interested in the education of our students."

Curtis Davis, senior vice president, energy generation, for Duke Energy North America, complimented Lawrence County's officials and citizens for their willingness to welcome the company to the area as a new neighbor. In the plant's early stages of relocating to the county, Davis remembered the walls of Rock Hill Elementary No. 4 being covered with drawings from every child, welcoming the company.

State Rep. Todd Book (D-McDermott) of the 89th District, which represents western Lawrence County, not only praised having the facility in the county, but also complimented the cycle of the project.

"They provided a nice wage to the working folks and have been fantastic corporate citizens," Book said. "I see it as building on future development."

Just like Lawrence County, his home in Adams County has experienced massive job loss in recent years, said Ohio State Senate President Doug White (R-Manchester), whose 14th District represents western Lawrence County. Adams County has since received two power plants. While these plants do not employ large amounts of people, they add to the local economic bases such as schools and local governments. Putting nearly 30 people to work in a predominantly rural area, like the one in Lawrence County, is still great, he said.

Lawrence countians, White said, have a proud past, and now, they can look toward a brighter future.

"The Hanging Rock Iron Region was the heart of the iron industry, producing thousands of tons of iron," White said. "People here worked hard, and they should be proud of their history. Now, we start a new chapter. Just as our founding fathers produced iron in the 1800s, we can now produce a reliable, efficient energy form from natural gas and have electricity for a manufacturing base."