Clemson University has selected a new site for the power plant Duke Energy plans to build to serve the campus and city.
Mark Land, vice president of university relations, said Clemson and Duke Energy officials met with the city on Monday to share the news.
“It’s going in a section of campus called Kite Hill, which still meets the needs of the university, but also addresses the concerns of residents,” Land said. “The site will minimize the visibility of the facility, and what noise the plant will produce won’t be audible off campus.”
Duke and the university began to rethink the site after a group of Clemson residents living in the Vineyard Road and Roslyn Drive neighborhoods pushed back against the proposed location, citing concerns about the height of the smokestacks, emanating noise and environmental impact. City council also passed a resolution opposing the initial site for the plant.
The new site is west of Highway 76 and not in residential neighborhoods.
“The university very much appreciates the feedback it received from the community and took those concerns to heart in finding a solution that allows this important project, which will benefit both the university and the larger community, to move forward,” Land said.
Land said that “the university is hopeful that the proposed new location will result in the city ending its formal opposition to the project.”
City council will hold a meeting on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. at city hall to discuss the plans with the public and university officials.