Regulated Power Plants
Dolet Hills Power Station
Dolet Hills Power Station has played a vital role in the growth of DeSoto Parish. Located southeast of Mansfield, La., the plant sits on a 30,000-acre site and is a major industrial partner in the parish. 
The Dolet Hills unit went into operation in 1986 and generates 650 megawatts of electricity using lignite, a type of coal mined in DeSoto and Red River parishes. During construction, the plant represented a new era in energy production in Louisiana. It is the only plant in the state fueled by lignite. Dolet Hills is co-owned by Cleco Power LLC, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp., and AEP-SWEPCO. Cleco Power operates the plant.
Lignite, a dark brown-to-black combustible mineral, is a natural resource formed over millions of years by the partial decomposition of plant material. It is mined by the Dolet Hills Lignite Company, a subsidiary of AEP-SWEPCO, which oversees and supports the mining operations. Dolet Hills burns 3.5 millionto 4 million tons of lignite yearly. Because of the proximity of the mine to the plant, the electricity generated is economical and reliable. A seven-mile conveyor belt sends the lignite directly from the mine to the plant, saving on transportation and other costs.
The plant partners with a national marketing firm, ISG Resources, to find alternative uses for its ash, a by-product of coal-generated electricity. Currently, the plant's ash is being sold as a cement additive, which makes concrete stronger and more durable.
Quick Facts:
Location: southeast of Mansfield, DeSoto Parish
Fuel source: lignite
Total capacity: 650 megawatts
Rodemacher Power Station
Rodemacher Power Station is located on a 6,000-acre site in Lena near Boyce, La. Covering about half of the plant site is a man-made lake (Rodemacher Lake), which serves as a cooling source for the plant's two generating units.
Unit 1 is 100 percent owned by Cleco Power LLC, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp. It is fueled by natural gas and low-sulfur fuel oil and can produce 440 megawatts. The initial start-up of Unit 1 was in 1975. Unit 2, jointly owned by Cleco Power, Louisiana Energy and Power Authority, and Lafayette Utilities System, is fueled predominantly by coal from Wyoming and can produce 523 megawatts. It was completed in 1982. Together, the two units produce a total of 963 megawatts.
In an effort to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment, contractors planted 65,000 hardwood seedlings on about 120 acres of the plant site in January 2001. Rodemacher is also working with a national marketing firm, ISG Resources, to find alternative uses for its ash, a by-product of coal-generated electricity. Currently, the ash is being sold as a cement additive, which makes concrete stronger and more durable. Rodemacher burns 1.75 million to 2.1 million tons of coal a year.
Quick Facts:
Location: Lena, Rapides Parish
Fuel source: natural gas, oil and coal
Total capacity: 963 megawatts
Teche Power Station
Teche Power Station is located in south Louisiana in Baldwin and sits on approximately 45 acres of land. Teche has been a part of St. Mary Parish for half a century and supports the growth of the parish. 
Teche Units 1, 2 and 3 are 100 percent owned by Cleco Power LLC, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp. They were completed in 1953, 1956 and 1971, respectively, and are all fueled by natural gas and oil. Combined, the three units have a total generating capacity of 430 megawatts. Unit 3 produces 350 of the 430 megawatts. Units 1 and 2 are primarily used as peaking units when demand is extremely high.
EUCG, an independent utility cost-benchmarking organization, recognized Teche as a best performer in non-fuel operating and maintenance costs compared to plants of similar size and fuel type so many times that they presented them with the "Top Banana" award in 2000.
Quick Facts:
Location: Baldwin, St. Mary Parish
Fuel source: natural gas and oil
Total capacity: 430 megawatts
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