By Mary Jo Rieth/Contributing Writer
Construction of the Marshall Energy Center kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 22 at a site on North Grant near the old power plant location. The $175 million project is part of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance’s “Building MO Power” initiative. Marshall Municipal Utilities is a member of MPUA and its energy pool.
The project involves construction of an energy center with four natural gas turbines, which will be installed in two phases over the next few years, according to Steve Stodden, MPUA president and CEO. He served as emcee of the groundbreaking ceremony.
“The first two gas turbines being installed here will begin operation in 2026 with the last two beginning operations in 2029,” said Stodden. “They’ll be very efficient, primarily natural gas-fired generation with fuel-oil backup for emergency conditions. This means they can be operated even under the worst conditions.”
Stodden said the energy center will supply 134 megawatts of power in the winter and 99 megawatts in the summer.
“To put that into perspective, this construction we’re starting today will supply three cities the size of Marshall,” he added.
Mayor Craig Thompson called the project a milestone that strengthens the city’s electric grid and hailed the collaboration between local leadership and MPUA.
“We’re proud to be partnering with MPUA to help operate this center,” said Thompson. “Our utility team is working hand-in-hand with MPUA to ensure this facility runs smoothly and delivers on its promise to make the electric grid more reliable and keep energy costs affordable for our residents and businesses.”
Thompson said the energy center will provide the city with more control over its energy future and will be capable of meeting demand during peak times and emergencies.
“For our residents, that means fewer outages, better service and confidence that we’re planning ahead for long-term stability,” Thompson said. “Local projects like this create jobs, support infrastructure development and contribute to the vitality of our community. We’re not just powering homes and businesses; we’re powering progress.”
Another speaker at the ceremony was Kayla Hahn, chair of the Missouri Public Service Commission, who spoke of the need for more power sources that can be counted on when demand spikes, especially in extreme weather conditions. She said natural gas turbines like the ones coming to Marshall provide on-demand generation capacity to support reliability for communities in the state.
Brad Pollitt from District 52 of the Missouri House of Representatives and a member of its Utilities Committee also spoke at the groundbreaking. He noted the need for disbursable energy to avoid electrical issues such as rolling blackouts and giving customers cost-efficient utilities.
Marshall Energy Center will help supply 52 communities across the state, including Marshall, through MPUA’s energy pool. The cities of Fulton and Hannibal also are in the process of implementing power projects through MPUA.