PLAQUEMINE, La. (BRPROUD) – A groundbreaking ceremony attended by Gov. John Bel Edwards, Iberville Parish President Mitchell Ourso and Kindle Energy CEO Lee Davis on Monday kicks of the construction on on a $750 million power station in Iberville Parish.
“This investment by Kindle Energy is a win for job creation, emissions reduction and rural resilience,” Edwards said. “Magnolia Power will increase the affordability and sustainability of electricity to some of the state’s most rural communities. It also will modernize the state’s public utility infrastructure by employing gas turbine technology that uses natural gas and carbon-free hydrogen rather than carbon-intensive coal as its fuel source.”
The plant, called Magnolia Power Generating Station, will produce enough electricity to power more than half a million homes every year, according to officials.
“It will direct it’s electricity to five electric co-ops that serve over half of the state in terms of our rural population,” Edwards said.
Officials said the 700-megawatt electric generation plant will deliver clean, efficient power across the state. Edwards said this helps his goal to reduce Louisiana’s carbon footprint by 2050.
“So this is going to create resiliency in rural Louisiana and it’s going to lower our carbon foot print as a state,” he said.
Hundreds of jobs also will be created by this massive project, including:
- 25 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $100,000,
- 94 new indirect job and
- 475 jobs during peak construction.
“It’s a great day for Iberville Parish,” Ourso said. “All the dignitaries, the governor, all the people who made this happen, one of my proudest moments as being parish president.”
The plan is to have the station fully operational by 2025.
“We applaud Kindle Energy for their decision to invest in Iberville Parish in Louisiana’s Capital Region,” said Adam Knapp, Baton Rouge Area Chamber president and CEO. “Kindle Energy’s investment adds to our quickly growing new energy sector, which has seen over $25 billion in announced or proposed projects since 2020. This is a big win for Iberville Parish to secure this $750 million capital investment.”
