Stop Tenaska’s Fluvanna Gas Plant
It would be the largest gas generation complex in Virginia. We gotta stop it.
It would be the largest gas generation complex in Virginia. We gotta stop it.
Tenaska, a Nebraska-based energy company, wants to double its footprint in Fluvanna County by constructing a massive new 1500 MW combined-cycle gas plant next to its existing 1000 MW facility. If built, this site would become the single largest gas generation complex in Virginia. And unlike a true peaker plant, this facility would run constantly, pumping pollution into our community day after day. CCAN is partnering with local residents and community voices to stop this gas plant before it begins.
Tenaska claims the project will bring tax revenue and economic benefits. But the truth is, their real goal is to sell power on the open market, mainly to fuel the growing energy demand from data centers—not to serve our community. And their track record shows property taxes here have risen, not fallen, since their first plant opened in 2004.
Sign the petition: Tell Virginia regulators to say NO to this new gas plant catastrophe!
Gas-fired plants emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter that cause asthma, lung disease, and premature death. Fluvanna already suffers high rates of asthma and pulmonary disease. Adding another massive source of pollution will worsen the health crisis and raise health care costs.
Virginia law requires utilities to move toward 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. New gas plants lock us into decades of dirty emissions—long after the deadline for zero carbon. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is over 25 times more potent than CO2 in driving climate change.
Tenaska’s community engagement has been secretive and exclusionary. They forced officials to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, then held closed-door meetings where they selected which community questions to answer. When asked about health impacts, they admitted they have not conducted local studies or air modeling.
The existing Tenaska plant already withdraws 3 to 4 million gallons of water daily from the James River, discharging polluted water into Cunningham Creek and the Rivanna River. The new plant would withdraw an additional 6 to 7 million gallons each day and dump 1.5 million gallons of hard water back into local waterways. Mixing water from two rivers threatens ecosystems and drinking water alike.
Despite promises of tax benefits from their first plant, property taxes in Fluvanna rose in 2025. Most workers at the existing facility are from outside the county. Tenaska admits the same would be true for the new plant. Property values near gas plants drop by at least 11 percent, leaving residents to pay the price.
Tenaska’s proposed plant will not lower our energy bills. The company sells into the PJM regional grid, not to local consumers. Dominion customers are exposed to volatile natural gas prices, which have already caused major rate hikes. The real winners are data center corporations and Tenaska’s investors—not our community.