NICHOLSON TOWNSHIP -- The Marcellus Shale region is about to add even more plants to convert natural gas to electricity.
A Pennsylvania power company is planning nine new plants.
These plants would be built by IMG Midstream from the Pittsburgh area.
One of the first plants is expected to be built in Nicholson Township, right next to the Oxbow substation.
They will be smaller, 20 megawatt power stations as opposed to some other huge plants under construction in our area that are several hundred megawatts.
They'll be scattered across Bradford, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming Counties, producing electricity from local natural gas wells and placed in locations that are near local gas wells and existing electrical substations.
Frank Sewicki is retired and plans to sell some of his land to IMG Midstream for the new power station right across from his home.
"Certainly financially a plus, it is and for the neighbors to where the line will cross," said Sewicki.
Some of the nine plants will provide electricity to nearby communities, while others will send the energy onto the regional grid. Even so, some neighbors near the proposed plants just don't see the upside.
"It's no problem to me other than the fact they wanted to rather abuse my property," said Nicholson Township resident David Blewett.
Blewett lives just up the road and has for 28 years. Recently, he was approached about letting a natural gas pipeline run through his land. And at first, he was open to the idea, and saw many like himself say yes.
"A lot of the farmers were getting older and it meant the gas would be their livelihood instead of trying to farm it anymore."
While the money was good, he says he couldn't bring himself to close the deal.
"The only thing I felt was the property was worth more for someone in the future than it would be for a gas line going through it."
Sewicki says people in the area can't complain about all the natural gas drilling and proposed power plants because the industry is so important to their community.
"If you look around this area and Susquehanna County and just the general area, I think it's been a boom. Look at the all new vehicles on the road. Look at the diners that are full. Try to rent a place around here now; the rent has gone up quite high. It's all a boom to me to the local economy," said Sewicki.
In the case of the Nicholson Township plant, IMG Midstream has received conditional approval from the planning commission to move forward and get the necessary permits.
Company leaders say that plant will be one of the first to break ground, ideally in several weeks.