A new power plant slated for Bogalusa could generate millions in economic development, tax revenue and jobs.Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta announced Friday what he called "the first steps" toward making the power plant a reality.Skrmetta said Entergy Louisiana signed a purchase and sale agreement with a subsidiary of Calpine Corp. for a 360-megawatt, gas-fired current transformer. The plant would be built on the site of a similar project that got underway back in 2001, but ultimately shut down because of market conditions. It has been mothballed for nearly 15 years."What I'm hoping that comes from this is that there's going to be more jobs available than there are people, and that's the goal," Skrmetta said.For residents in Washington Parish, especially in the Bogalusa area, it is the news for which they've been waiting.Cody Penton operates Best Stop #22, a gas and convenience store just up Highway 10 from the site where the new plant will be built."This right here would be a gold mine if they open, because we'll open our kitchen back up. We'll have food and all that," Penton said. "They'll be able to just swing by here, grab their food and drink and go back to work."Folks have been driving past the dormant site for years. Entergy embraced the unique opportunity to place a plant on a site already partially developed."For Entergy and our customers, we get a quick stop peaking facility which we need to meet our customers' load," Entergy President and CEO Phillip May said. He added the facility would help keep rates down."It's going to be like hitting the lottery, a small Powerball for Washington Parish," Assessor Jimbo Stevenson said.Tax revenue in Washington Parish has been tight for years. Officials could not be happier at seeing the new plant come to reality."It's going to fund our schools. It's going to fund our sheriff's department. It's going to fund our clerk of court," Stevenson said."We get excited when a new stop sign is put up. You have to look for it," Sen. Beth Mizell, (R) District 12, said. "So something this big will be meaningful to all the parish."Skrmetta said the plant's construction will create other economic development."Hotels. Apartments. There'll be convenience store issues," Skrmetta said. "They are going to be driving the support industries of what need to go from there."Around Bogalusa, it means one thing."It brings jobs back to the parish. You know, people are going to have jobs to be able to work and get through everything," Penton said.Skrmetta said the transaction could mean as much as $40 million in tax revenue to Washington Parish over the lifetime of the unit. The potential overall economic impact for Washington and northern St. Tammany parishes, Skrmetta said, could be over a billion dollars. People in Washington Parish are ready to get that kind of power turned back on.Keep up with local news, weather and current events with the WDSU app here. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news right in your inbox. Click here to sign up!