Harriman, TN: 1955+2027 TVA 1.5gw Kingston Fossil Plant

(Satellite)

Three generations of smokestacks probably means three generations of pollution control. (Actually, only the smokestack on the left were installed with pollution controls. The 1000' smokestacks in the middle just kept the pollutants away from the immediate neighborhood.

Street View, May 2024

TVA
"When it was finished in 1955, Kingston stood as the largest coal-burning power plant in the world — a distinction it held for more than a decade....To meet the demand, Kingston burns about 14,000 tons of coal a day, an amount that would fill 140 railroad cars."
It was built to support Oak Ridge National Laboratory to increase production "of atomic defense material due to the Korean conflict."

gem

The Google search results are dominated by a bad ash spill in 2008. For example:

4:10 video @ 2:58

This video says that workers who helped clean up the mess like a truck driver died because of the hazardous materials in the ash.

I have noticed that the EPA wrote new regulations for ash ponds in 2015, and a lot of companies shut down power plants rather than try to meet those regulations. Here is what TVA says about the spill.

"In 2008, TVA worked diligently to clean up a coal ash spill, regain the trust of the public and leave the area better off than it had been before. Those efforts were completed in 2015. Read more about them—and see the salient legal documentation—on our Kingston documents page." [TVA]

TVA posted
Kingston Fossil Plant generated its first megawatt 70 years ago this week. Since 1955, it has helped power the region with a generating capacity of nearly 1,400 megawatts—enough electricity for more than 800,000 homes. We're building a next-generation energy complex on-site, featuring more than 1,500 megawatts of natural gas. We are also planning for battery storage and solar. Learn more 👉 http://tva.me/O1hN50VRR8y

The claim of solar power in their new plant is basically a PR stunt because it is just 4mw compared to the 1,500mw capacity of the gas-powered plant.

The new combined-cycle power plant will also require a new 122-mile natural gas pipeline. [powermag]

powermag
The two 1000' (305m) tall smokestacks were built in 1976.

When I researched which railroad serves this plant, I discovered it used an industrial spur off the Tennessee Central.

1952/54 Harriman Quad @ 24,000

But the TC went out of business in 1968. [tcry_history] A 1968/71 topo map confirms that the industrial spur was then connected the the Southern Railroad.