"Unit 1: 96.0 MW (1950), Unit 2: 96.0 MW (1950), Unit 3: 217.6 MW (1959), Unit 4: 217.6 MW (1960)....NRG idled the coal plant in January 2016. It has been on reserve service only since 2012." [gem]
Results from the Google search indicate that NRG had plans on and off since 2016 to convert it to natural gas. Frankly, I'm surprised that such a small plant made it 2016.
The plant was 40% of Dunkrik's tax base and had 150 employees. (This article said it would have a link to a proposal of seven possible reuses. But I could not find that link.) [wbfo]
I went back to an older street view because it still had all of the smokestacks.
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| Street View, Jul 2013 |
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| 1 of 2 photos posted by Bill Donna Stirgwolt, cropped NRG Dunkirk Steam Plant, Dunkirk NY. 4/150 mw units decommissioned 2021. Donnie Fadale: Plant has 2/100mw units and 2/200mw units decommissioned 2016 (huge mistake) |
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| Danny Spencer commented on Bill's post Did the demolition inspection of all 3 stacks. |
The plant was 40% of Dunkrik's tax base and had 150 employees. (This article said it would have a link to a proposal of seven possible reuses. But I could not find that link.) [wbfo]
The decommissioning process started in 2020. This article has a reuse plan link. Yet another data center was the primary choice. "Other potential uses for the site could include conversion from coal to a natural gas power plant; general industrial development; battery storage site; interconnect for future offshore wind projects on Lake Erie; microgrid development; or a complete $38 million ‘clean slate’ where all current buildings are demolished and environmental remediation work is carried out in order to create more re-use options. The report noted there is potential on-site surface, subsurface, and groundwater contamination; potential asbestos, lead and PCB-containing materials on-site; and the presence of coal ash lagoons." [DataCenterDynamics]
The reuse report:
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| PlanningChautauqua |
In 2022, $46.5m was invested in the grid to divorce it from the power plant. "Before it was shut down, NRG in Dunkirk was one of the cleanest coal-producing power plants in the nation due to upgrades made in the early 2000s. However, with New York state pushing for more alternative and cleaner energy options such as wind and solar, it ultimately led to the end of the more than 70-year-old facility." [post-journal]
In 2022, they are still looking at what to do with it. I did learn that "data center" can be a euphemism for crypto mining, and they want to avoid that application. And conversion to natural gas seems to be an on and off possibility.
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| ErieNewsNow |
Back when trains were still delivering coal.
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| chqdaily |
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