That sounds like something that could provide enough power and HVAC for a small city. In this case, the "city" is the Borgata, the $1 billion, 2,000-room casino/hotel that Boyd Gaming and MGM Mirage are building in this city's Marina District. City indeed: At peak operation beginning next summer, the Borgata could have as many as 10,000 people on the premises at any given time.

Everything about the Borgata is big (its casino alone will be 120,000 sf), and that includes its power and HVAC source. It's currently being built by Marina Energy, a subsidiary of the Folsom, NJ-based South Jersey Industries. Marina Energy has a 20-year contract to be the Borgata's energy source of choice.

The 26,000-sf facility will sit on a site directly adjacent to the hotel. "With the construction of this production facility, it's our hope to promote economic growth in the city and county," according to Charles Biscieglia, president of SJI. He notes that the new thermal plant will be readily expandable.

SJI's other subsidiaries include South Jersey Gas, South Jersey Energy and South Jersey Resources.