Peaking plants sell power when the need for electricity is at its peak. On hot summer days, when air-conditioners are set to maximum cool, demand for electricity skyrockets. Electric utilities struggle to meet this demand. If their own plants can't meet it, they have to buy power on the open market at whatever price suppliers want to charge. Moves toward deregulation of the electric utility business have spurred more interest in building peaking plants.
Developers think that, under deregulation, they'll be able to make more money off such plants.
Constellation Power, for example, has proposed similar peaking plants in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Virginia. In Wayne County, Constellation has already clashed with commissioners over allegations that the company hasn't hired local construction workers to build the plant. Local labor unions and the Affiliated Construction Trades Foundation have questioned the project. They worry that the company isn't providing promised local jobs, but is still getting tax breaks from state and local officials. Some efforts by ACT Foundation officials to investigate the project have been stymied by a state law that allows agencies to keep details of economic development efforts secret.