LEROY, AL — PowerSouth Energy Cooperative is expanding its Lowman Energy Center in Leroy, Alabama, by adding a second advanced-class gas turbine to meet rising regional energy demand.

The project involves the installation of a Mitsubishi Power M501JAC turbine, which will increase the facility's winter capacity from 696 MW to over 1 gigawatt — enough to power approximately 694,000 homes.

Engineering, procurement, and construction services for the expansion are being managed by Burns & McDonnell. The project includes a twenty-five-year long-term service agreement with Mitsubishi Power.

PowerSouth, which operates as a winter-peaking system, said the new unit will operate in a simple-cycle configuration, offering high operational flexibility. This allows the plant to ramp up and down more rapidly to support grid reliability during peak demand periods.

The expansion is being driven by increasing regional energy demand from factors including the reshoring of manufacturing, electrification, and the growth of artificial intelligence workloads.

In February 2026, PowerSouth submitted a Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit application to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for the installation of a 454 MW natural gas-fired simple-cycle combustion turbine generator.

The Lowman Energy Center, located in nearby Leroy in Washington County, has been a significant employer and economic driver for the region. The first M501JAC unit began commercial operations at the site in 2023.