PowerSouth Adds Second Mitsubishi M501JAC to Push Lowman Energy Center Past 1 GW

PowerSouth Energy Cooperative has announced the expansion of its Lowman Energy Center (LEC) in Leroy, Alabama, with the addition of a second Mitsubishi Power M501JAC advanced-class gas turbine, a move that will push the facility's winter capacity from 696 MW to over 1 GW, sufficient to power approximately 694,000 homes across Alabama and Northwest Florida.¹

What Is Driving the LEC Expansion?

According to the announcement, the decision to expand was driven by a rapid increase in regional energy demand combined with a measurable decrease in available energy surplus.¹ PowerSouth cited several fast-moving demand drivers, including the reshoring of domestic manufacturing, broad-based electrification initiatives, and the surging power requirements of artificial intelligence infrastructure—trends that are collectively straining generation capacity across multiple U.S. regions and compressing the lead time available for utilities to respond.

For generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives like PowerSouth, which serves 18 electric distribution cooperatives and four municipal electric systems across 51 Alabama counties and 10 Florida counties, the margin for delayed action is particularly thin. The cooperative's proactive expansion strategy reflects the kind of long-cycle capital planning that grid reliability increasingly demands.

Why the M501JAC Gas Turbine?

Mitsubishi Power will supply its M501JAC gas turbine — the same model currently operating at the LEC since 2023 as the first unit — along with a 25-year long-term service agreement (LTSA).¹ Burns & McDonnell has been selected to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the project.

The M501JAC is positioned at the top of Mitsubishi Power's J-Series JAC lineup, which the company states leads the industry in reliability, efficiency, and output for simple-cycle operation.¹ The JAC variant of the J-series achieves elevated performance through advanced compressor aerodynamics and high-temperature combustion technology, enabling the highest per-unit output in simple-cycle configuration—a critical advantage when maximizing power density on an existing plant footprint.

Operating in simple-cycle configuration also provides a meaningful operational flexibility advantage: the ability to ramp output up and down more rapidly than combined-cycle plants, making the LEC better positioned to respond to peak demand events on what is historically a winter-peaking system.¹ That flexibility is increasingly valuable as grid operators contend with greater load variability.

Leveraging Existing Infrastructure for Faster Commissioning

One operationally significant aspect of the LEC 3 project is the degree to which it builds on existing site infrastructure. PowerSouth will utilize its current control room for the new unit, and cooperative staff are already trained on the M501JAC platform from the first installation.¹ This familiarity is expected to streamline commissioning and reduce transition risk—a tangible benefit of standardizing on a proven technology platform across a facility.

"Our distribution members, and the members at the end of the line—they need reliable power at the most affordable cost possible," said Damon Morgan, PowerSouth President & CEO.¹

Implications for the Turbomachinery Sector

The LEC expansion is a concrete example of a broader procurement trend: utilities and cooperatives doubling down on proven heavy-duty gas turbine technology as they race to keep pace with load growth. The 25-year LTSA structure reflects the long-term operational commitment involved and the premium placed on service continuity for high-utilization assets.

For turbomachinery professionals, the project also underscores the growing commercial importance of EPC-OEM-operator collaboration models in accelerating project timelines and managing risk in a supply-constrained market.

Reference

1. Mitsubishi Power Americas. PowerSouth Energy Cooperative Expanding Lowman Energy Center — Mitsubishi Power Americas. June 4, 2026