Plant Scherer
| Company type | Subsidiary facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric power generation |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Juliette, Georgia , United States |
Area served | Southeastern United States |
| Products | Electricity |
| Owner | Georgia Power (subsidiary of Southern Company), Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Florida Power & Light (NextEra Energy), JEA, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, City of Dalton |
| Parent | Southern Company (via Georgia Power) |
The Robert W. Scherer Power Plant (commonly known as Plant Scherer) is a coal-powered electricity generation facility situated in Juliette, Georgia, close to Macon, Georgia, United States. Comprising four generating units each with a capacity of 935 megawatts, it holds the distinction of being the largest coal-based power station in North America. The plant is named in honor of a former chairman and CEO of Georgia Power and serves as a crucial asset within the regional power sector.
Description
Although each unit is rated at 945 MW, their actual output is roughly 880 MW per unit. These units were commissioned sequentially from 1982 through 1989. The site includes two chimney stacks, which were erected in 1982 and 1986 respectively. By 2018, Plant Scherer was recognized as the fourth-largest electricity producer in the United States and the biggest facility fueled solely by coal. It also stands as the leading emitter of greenhouse gases among U.S. power plants, discharging over annually.
Positioned near flight corridors leading to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the plant is a prominent visual landmark for passengers during approach.
In June 2020, an arrangement between Florida Power & Light and JEA set forth the planned shutdown of Unit 4 by 2022. Subsequently, in November 2021, Georgia Power announced intentions to retire Unit 3 by 2025; however, this decision was reversed in 2022, allowing Unit 3 to operate until at least 2028. As of January 2025, further plans extended Unit 3’s operational life through 2038, reflecting ongoing strategic revisions in response to evolving market dynamics and regulatory frameworks.
Operator and ownership
The facility is managed by Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, with ownership shared among several entities including Oglethorpe Power Corporation, the city government of Dalton, Georgia, NextEra Energy (through its subsidiary Florida Power & Light), JEA based in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia.
| Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPC | 60.0% | 60.0% | — | — |
| Georgia Power | 8.4% | 8.4% | 75.0% | — |
| FPL | — | — | 25.0%[nb 1] | 76.4% |
| MEAG | 30.2% | 30.2% | — | — |
| JEA | — | — | — | 23.6% |
| City of Dalton | 1.4% | 1.4% | — | — |
Coal trains
Coal supplies originate from Wyoming's Powder River Basin and are transported by unit trains operated by Norfolk Southern and BNSF, each consisting of up to 135 railcars. Daily deliveries range from two to five trains, which are unloaded at Plant Scherer using a hydraulic dump mechanism that continuously empties cars over an approximately ninety-minute period.
Emissions
In August 2012, Plant Scherer underwent scrutiny by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division due to concerns regarding leaching from coal ash ponds and air quality issues. Back in 2006, it was identified as the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions within the United States and ranked twentieth worldwide for CO2 emissions according to the Center for Global Development’s list published in 2007—being the sole U.S.-based facility among the top twenty-five global carbon dioxide emitters.
Regulatory frameworks and agencies
Beginning in 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson implemented significant regulations such as the Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology standard and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). The CSAPR imposed compliance deadlines of under six months for facilities like the Scherer plant.
In 2011, Southern Company engaged KBR to equip Plant Scherer with pollution control technologies, including flue-gas desulfurization units, selective catalytic reduction systems, ducting, and auxiliary components for two of its coal-fired generating units.
By 2010, contractors including KBR and Halliburton had completed construction of two additional tall steam stacks to support the Flue-Gas Desulfurization scrubbers.
See also
External links
- http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b5480
- Generation and fuel consumption statistics from the Energy Information Administration Electricity Data Browser
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- Articles with short description
- Towers completed in 1982
- Towers completed in 1986
- Towers in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Buildings and structures in Monroe County, Georgia
- Coal-fired power stations in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Chimneys in the United States
- Georgia Power
- NextEra Energy
- 1982 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Oglethorpe Power
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