In September 2025, Tenaska (a Nebraska -based energy company) sought to build a second natural gas plant in Fluvanna County, which would be next to the current one. The facility would generate up to 1,540 megawatts of power, which the company says is enough to fuel 1.5 million homes.
Proposed Health Impacts
- Mortality Risks: The facility was projected to cause 1.7 to 3.3 additional premature deaths annually due to air pollution. This includes modeled increases in all-cause mortality and infant mortality.
- Respiratory Crisis: Exposure is linked to the onset of asthma, roughly 1,100 annual cases of asthma symptoms, and increased emergency room visits and hospital admissions for respiratory distress.
- Cardiovascular Events: Modeled impacts include nonfatal heart attacks, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and strokes.
- Chronic and Neurological Diseases: The report identified increased risks for lung cancer and hospital admissions for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
- Quality of Life and Productivity: The plant’s emissions were associated with roughly 260 lost school days, 190 lost workdays, and over 1,100 minor restricted activity days per year.
- Chronic Noise Stressors: Beyond air quality, local officials cited research indicating that constant industrial noise can trigger hypertension, elevated stress hormones, heart disease, sleep disruption, and anxiety.
After months of hearings and deferrals, the Fluvanna County Planning Commission voted 5-0 on Feb. 24 to recommend denial of Tenaska’s proposed Expedition Generation gas-fired power plant.
However, now the recommendation moves to the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, which holds final authority over the application and will make a decision at their next meeting on March 18 at 6pm, in Fluvanna County High School. Residents ar encouraged to speak at the meeting to share their concerns. The supervisors may approve the permit, deny it or impose additional conditions by majority vote. See the timeline below:
Sources
Carrier, A. (2026, January 9). Proposed Fluvanna gas plant could lead to new premature deaths and rising asthma rates, study finds. Charlottesville Tomorrow. https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/proposed-fluvanna-gas-plant-could-lead-to-new-premature-deaths-and-rising-asthma-rates-study-finds/
Cork, M., Guidi, G., & Dominici, F. (2025, December 19). PM2.5 air pollution impact of proposed Expedition Generating Station. Dominici Lab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/Fluvanna-Health-and-Air-Quality-Impacts-of-the-Proposed-Expedition-Generating-Station.pdf
Nuechterlein, K. (2025, September 23). Proposal for $2 billion natural gas-fired plant in Fluvanna faces pushback from neighbors. Https://Www.29news.com; 29 News. https://www.29news.com/2025/09/23/proposal-2-billion-natural-gas-fired-plant-fluvanna-faces-pushback-neighbors/
Michon, H. (2026, March 5). Fluvanna Planning Commission recommends denial of Tenaska plant in unanimous vote – Fluvanna Review. Fluvannareview.com. https://fluvannareview.com/2026/03/fluvanna-planning-commission-recommends-denial-of-tenaska-plant-in-unanimous-vote/