Kings Mountain Energy Center Begins Operations

Cleveland County officially became home to one of the cleanest and most efficient power plants in the nation today, as NTE Energy’s Kings Mountain Energy Center (KMEC) formally began operations.

Officials from NTE Energy joined with city, county, and state leaders Tuesday to cut the ribbon on the $500 million facility. The 475 MW natural gas-fired plant is providing clean energy to more than 400,000 homes through long-term agreements with nine municipalities in the Carolinas.

“We are extremely proud of this milestone, and offer our thanks and congratulations to everyone who had a hand in bringing this state-of-the-art facility to completion,” NTE Energy CEO Seth Shortlidge said. “We have enjoyed building long-lasting relationships with the City of Kings Mountain and our customers as we work to bring significant power cost savings and economic development opportunities to the Carolinas.”

At the height of construction, Shortlidge noted, KMEC created more than 500 construction jobs. The facility now employs 25 skilled positions to handle daily operations.

NTE Energy’s first clean power plant began operations earlier this year in Middletown, Ohio, where local officials have praised the company for delivering on its pledge to be a partner in providing the community with cleaner, more affordable energy. NTE’s second Carolinas power plant – the Reidsville Energy Center – is currently under construction in Rockingham County, North Carolina, with plans in development for a third energy center in Anderson, South Carolina and a solar energy center in Eastern North Carolina.