This is how Kountry Inn Motel’s Roger Booker, who operates the 42-unit hotel and 16 apartments with his wife, Stella Booker, describes the economic impact from construction of Luminant Energy’s $890 million, 581-megawatt Sandow Steam Electric Station Unit 5 south of Rockdale.

Business is booming in Rockdale as construction moves close to the 50 percent complete milestone, which reaches the job pinnacle of 1,550-plus workers in the next few weeks and continues to September, said Robert C. Donnelly, site manager for the power plant construction project.

The power plant project will require 3.5 million person-hours for a total $150 million in labor costs, Donnelly said. That’s not factoring in additional employees from the demolition of Alcoa Inc.’s three Sandow power plant units and upgrades to Luminant’s Sandow Steam Electric Station Unit 5.

Rockdale businesses, though enjoying an economic boost, are fully aware that the economic boon is not permanent, and are wisely looking ahead to the day when the construction workers move on, said Booker, who relocated to Rockdale with his wife 31 years ago. New patronage “has its immediate benefits,” Booker said.

“When this is over, motel owners will have to wear identification badges to keep from trying to rent rooms to each other,” quipped Booker, referring to projected vacancies in the fall of 2009, when the power plant project is completed and companies have moved away.

Employees are living in Rockdale, Cameron, Taylor, Lexington, Burlington, Austin, Bryan-College Station and Houston. Craftsmen are given the benefit of a $50 gasoline card to help with high gasoline prices, Donnelly said. Bechtel provides housing and lodging contacts for employees, he added.

Motels are reporting that business is booming, as are apartments, rent houses and RV parks, restaurants and stores, Rockdale Chamber of Commerce President Denice Doss said.

“Traffic is heavy and sales tax (income) is up,” she said.

City Manager T. Fleming said it seems “there is a new RV park coming in every other day” prompting an “unscientific” count showing that Rockdale’s RV facilities were hosts to 250 travel trailers and motor homes. Sales tax has risen in Rockdale close to 20 percent, and is expected to reap additional revenue for the city.

County Judge Frank Summers said the number of power plant employees spending their paychecks in Milam County has boosted sales tax rebates a whopping 83 percent “showing a significant impact on the economy” and the probability of a slight drop in the 2008 tax rate.

Employees come from Milam and nine surrounding counties, and 35 welders imported from Puerto Rico.

“We are going to peak up to 1,550 folks out here,” Donnelly said.

“This is craftsmen. On top of that there will be 120 non-manual workers, such as professionals, supervising field engineers, and contracted safety representatives. Then on top of that are the subcontractors,” he said. “One large subcontractor is finishing up on the cooling towers that will be finished in two months. We have a subcontract to build the fly ash silos and they will bring in a staff of 50 to 60 people in addition to miscellaneous subcontractors, and another 50 to 100 subcontractors on top of those numbers.”