Gulf Power announces retirement of Plant Smith coal units

subscribe

Gulf Power has announced plans to retire two of its coal-fired electric generating units located near Panama City, Florida in March 2016.

The company said stricter regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency have forced the retirement of Coal Units 1 & 2 at Plant Smith — units that have operated since the mid-60s. When Gulf Power evaluated the cost to meet EPA regulations, the utility decided it would be in their customers’ best interest to retire the units.

Plant Smith will continue to operate and produce electricity with its state-of-the-art combined-cycle natural gas unit, which went into service in 2002. Through careful planning, plant employees assigned to the coal units will be transitioned to other jobs within the company.

Plant SmithÂ’s coal units can produce a total of 375 megawatts.

“Employees at Plant Smith have ensured Units 1 & 2 have been workhorses for our system for nearly 50 years,” said Stan Connally, Gulf Power president and CEO. “And this plant will continue to provide affordable, reliable electricity for our customers well into the future with our natural gas unit.”

Even with the retirement of the coal units, Gulf Power will still be able to supply enough electricity for its customers in Northwest Florida — that includes electricity from flagship coal facility Plant Crist, which added a $650 million scrubber in 2009. In addition, the utility is part of Southern Company and interconnected with sister companies Georgia Power, Mississippi Power and Alabama Power.

“To the employees who worked the coal units at Plant Smith we say ‘thank you’ for the outstanding job you’ve done to serve our customers,” said Connally. “And looking toward the future we’ll continue to ensure a diverse, affordable generation mix that serves our customers for years to come.”

In 2013, Gulf Power announced that Plant Scholz, a coal-fired generating plant in Sneads, Fla. would be forced to close because of new EPA regulations. The plant is scheduled to close in April 2015 after more than 60 years of service to Gulf Power customers.

At one time, Plant Scholz was Gulf PowerÂ’s flagship plant. Its two generating units can produce a total of 100 megawatts. Scholz employees who are not planning to retire also will be transitioned to other jobs within the company.

Gulf Power continually evaluates its generation needs, looking at many variables including forecasted demand, cost-effective generation technologies and upcoming regulations.

Related News

power pylons

Energy minister unveils Ontario's plan to address growing energy needs

TORONTO - Energy Minister Todd Smith has announced a new plan that outlines the actions the government is taking to address the province's growing demand for electricity.

The government is investing over a billion dollars in "energy-efficiency programs" through 2030 and beyond, Smith said in Windsor.

Experts at Ontario's Independent Electricity System recommended the planning start early to meet demand they predict will require the province to be able to generate 88,000 megawatts (MW) in 20 years.

"That means all of our current supply ... would need to double to meet the anticipated demand by 2050," he said during the announcement.

"While we may…

READ MORE
alberta power lines

Ottawa making electricity more expensive for Albertans

READ MORE

solar-storage-cheaper-than-conventional-power

Solar Plus Battery Storage Cheaper Than Conventional Power in Germany

READ MORE

british powerlines

UK Lockdown knocks daily electricity demand by 10 per cent

READ MORE

powerline worker

Kenya Power on the spot over inflated electricity bills

READ MORE