Tenaska continues to make significant progress on development of the Trailblazer Energy Center proposed east of Sweetwater, the first new commercial-scale conventional coal-fueled power plant designed to capture 85 to 90 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and deliver it to Permian Basin oil fields for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR).

Over the past year, Tenaska has focused on firming up important elements for the Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center. The project’s draft air quality permit has been issued and continues to move ahead with the contested case hearing scheduled to begin in June of this year. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is completing its electric transmission interconnection studies. Tenaska hired its primary engineering and construction contractor to begin preliminary engineering. The company continues to focus on securing a water supply and finding customers for the electrical and CO₂ output of the plant.

Securing a water supply for the project has been, and continues to be, very important. At a coal-fueled power project, water is heated in a boiler to produce steam. The high-pressure steam powers a steam turbine-generator set to produce electricity.

Tenaska understands how valuable water is in West Texas, which is why it has focused on buying municipal wastewater and employing an advanced dry-cooling design, which minimizes water use at power plants. Dry-cooling technology uses fans, and not water, to cool pipes containing steam so that it can be condensed and re-circulated through the boiler to make more steam.

The City of Abilene is currently considering Tenaska’s request for enough wastewater to support a dry-cooling design. In November, a City of Abilene study determined that the city had a sufficient supply of wastewater to meet Tenaska’s needs throughout the life of the Trailblazer Energy Center. A final decision on this request is expected in early 2010, and Tenaska remains optimistic about the results.

The Trailblazer Energy Center has received support from the local and state government which is critical to the over all economics of the project. In 2009, the City of Sweetwater, Nolan County and area business leaders strongly supported the project as it moved through the air quality permitting process, and the county awarded a 10-year property tax abatement to Trailblazer. The Texas Legislature passed legislation that will provide many millions of dollars of incentives to cutting-edge energy projects like Trailblazer. Trailblazer will likely be one of the first commercial-scale projects in the state to benefit from this framework of incentives.

The federal picture is somewhat less clear as Congress continues to debate legislative proposals and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers rule changes impacting CO₂ emissions. We are continuing to monitor this situation very closely.

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More information about the Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center and illustrations for press use may be obtained at www.tenaskatrailblazer.com.

2010 Entries January 2010 • Tenaska Optimistic at 2009 Progress on Trailblazer Energy Center, Moves Forward 2009 Entries October 2009 • State Office of Administrative Hearings Holds Preliminary Hearing on Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center Air Quality Permit September 2009 • Air Quality Permitting Process Proceeds for Trailblazer Energy Center June 2009 • Trailblazer Energy Center Boosted By New Incentives May 2009 • Tenaska Representative Updates Sweetwater Rotary Club March 2009 • Tenaska Testifies on Texas Incentives for Carbon Capture Projects • BBC to feature Sweetwater, Trailblazer in News Series • TCEQ Holds Public Meeting in Sweetwater January 2009 • Trailblazer Energy Center Granted Tax Abatement 2008 Entries December 2008 • Sweetwater Industrial Foundation Urges Passage of Tenaska Abatement • Sweetwater City Commission Passes Resolution Supporting Trailblazer • SEED Board Supports Tenaska s Tax Abatement • Nolan County Commissioners Consider Property Tax Abatement • Study: Tenaska Trailblazer to Bring Economic Boost November 2008 • Tenaska Updates Congressman on Trailblazer Energy Center • Tenaska Featured at Sweetwater Shriners Meeting October 2008 • Tenaska Vice President Brings Trailblazer Project to Life for Texas Legislators • Texas Energy Companies Learn About Trailblazer Energy Center at Clean Carbon Summit • Trailblazer Project to Have No Negative Impact on West Texas Transmission Capability • Sweetwater Residents Welcome Tenaska at Sweetwater Chamber Banquet, Ask Questions September 2008 • Tenaska Purchases 505 Acres for Access to Proposed Trailblazer Site August 2008 • Tenaska Tests Soil at Trailblazer Site • Tenaska is Invested in Trailblazer Energy Center • Tenaska Developers Study Carbon Capture Technology in Japan July 2008 • Tenaska Establishes Community Relations Office • Tenaska Vice President Testifies Before Texas Senate Committee • Tenaska Sees Positive Responses to CO2 Open Season June 2008 • Sweetwater and Nolan County Officials Tour Trailblazer Site • Tenaska First in U.S. to Hold Bids for Coal Plant Carbon Dioxide • Tenaska Vice President Testifies Before Congress on Trailblazer May 2008 • Hold on to those resumes • ERCOT balances electric transmission needs in West Texas • Tenaska again ranks at the top of NRDC Benchmarking Emissions Study • Trailblazer Energy Center: An environmental leader April 2008 • Harris joins as Community Representative • Tenaska mentioned in Houston Chronicle editorial • Tenaska starts informational advertising series • Project development leader answers questions in Sweetwater March 2008 • Newspaper editorial praises Trailblazer Energy Center project • Project engineers explain project to their professional peers • Application for Permit Has Been Filed February 2008 • Tenaska Trailblazer Energy Center Announced

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