Southern gets incentive to double size of power plant

Southern Co. of Atlanta is seeking local incentives to build an additional contract-power generation plant on the site west of Salisbury.

Southern Co.’s decision to expand at its eight-year-old Plant Rowan, as the company calls it, depends on whether a customer for the power can be found, says Steve Higginbotham, company spokesman. “We don’t build any additional units unless the power is dedicated to a customer.”

Robert Van Geons, executive director of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission, says the large local investment would be an excellent way to balance tax revenue between commercial and residential sources. “Our focus is on jobs and growing the nonresidential tax base. Jobs are first, but the tax base is critical.”