Dive Brief:

• Swiss-based Advanced Power AG has broken ground on a 700 MW gas-fired plant in Ohio, marking the start of what will be a dramatic shift in the state's fuel mix.

• Along with the Carroll County facility, the Beacon Journal reports five other facilities are under development while coal facilities are shuttering around the nation.

• Advanced Power's $899 million project will be located near the Utica and Marcellus shales and will sell energy, capacity and ancillary services into the PJM Interconnection marketplace.

Dive Insight:

Ohio has a half dozen gas-fired projects under development – a mix of new facilities, conversions and expansions – all of which the Beacon Journal reports will be online by 2019. Combined, the paper reports the projects will cost almost $4 billion and will produce more than 4,200 MW of power.

The expansion to the state's baseload generation fleet comes as lawmakers are debating what to do with Ohio's efficiency and renewables goals. Last year the state froze its clean energy standards, and now lawmakers are considering whether to nix the program entirely or scale back or maintain the targets.

Two years ago the state had 692 MW clean energy capacity: 62% from wind power and about 15% each from hydro and solar. A report from Pew Charitable Trusts found Ohio attracted $1.3 billion in private clean energy investment from 2009 to 2013.

The Carroll County power project is expected to generate roughly 700 construction jobs and 20 to 30 permanent jobs during operation. Project backers have also touted its “economic, socioeconomic and environmental benefits.”