James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric power generation |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | West Jefferson , United States |
Area served | Alabama |
| Owner | Alabama Power |
| Parent | Southern Company |
James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant, frequently referred to as Miller Steam Plant or Plant Miller, is a coal-powered electricity generation facility situated on roughly in West Jefferson, Alabama. The plant is under the ownership of Alabama Power, which operates as a subsidiary of Southern Company.
This facility comprises four units that were brought online between 1978 and 1991, each delivering a capacity of 705.5 MWe (660 MWe net). It is equipped with two natural draft cooling towers and is positioned along a tributary feeding into the Black Warrior River. The site includes an ash lagoon that releases pollutants into the river system.
In 2017, both The Weather Channel and the Environmental Protection Agency designated this plant as the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. By 2023, its carbon dioxide emissions approached 16.6 million tons, securing its rank as the nation’s highest polluter for nine years running since it overtook Plant Scherer in 2015. The Labadie Power Plant in Missouri ranks as the second-largest emitter. Although Southern Company has committed to a net zero emissions goal, Plant Miller does not have a planned shutdown date as of 2024.
Advocacy groups such as Energy Alabama have expressed concerns over the plant’s continued release of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury, urging Alabama Power to explore more environmentally sustainable energy options.