J. T. Deely Power Plant
| Company type | Power plant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | San Antonio , United States |
Area served | Bexar County, Texas |
| Products | Electricity |
| Owner | CPS Energy |
J. T. Deely Power Plant consisted of two generating units with a combined capacity of 871 megawatts (MW). It was a coal-fired facility situated southeast of San Antonio within Bexar County, adjacent to Calaveras Lake at the Calaveras Power Station. Managed by CPS Energy, the plant operated from 1977 until its closure in 2018.
History
Commercial operations commenced with Unit 1 in 1977, followed by Unit 2 entering service in 1978. The decision to construct a coal-powered station was influenced by the cost-effectiveness and dependability challenges associated with natural gas during that era. The combined construction expense for both units was $236 million, which included the erection of a 700-foot tall smokestack. Bearing the name of former CPS General Manager J. T. Deely, the plant received a major upgrade in 2009 when a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system was installed on Unit 2, replacing its previous electrostatic precipitator (ESP) to improve emission controls.
Closure
CPS Energy announced in 2011 its intention to retire the J. T. Deely Power Plant by 2018, driven by federal regulatory requirements. The utility concluded that the estimated $3 billion investment necessary to retrofit the facility for compliance was not economically justifiable. Although environmental policies shifted during the Trump administration, CPS Energy reaffirmed in 2017 that the plant’s closure would proceed as originally planned. The facility officially shut down on December 31, 2018.