Conemaugh Generating Station

Conemaugh Generating Station
Conemaugh Generating Station
Location of Conemaugh Generating Station
Country	United States
Location	West Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, near New Florence, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°23′05″N 79°03′49″W / 40.38472°N 79.06361°W / 40.38472; -79.06361Coordinates: 40°23′05″N 79°03′49″W / 40.38472°N 79.06361°W / 40.38472; -79.06361
Status	Active
Commission date	Unit 1: May, 1970 Unit 2: May, 1971
Owner(s)	PSEG Fossil, others
Power station information
Primary fuel	Bituminous coal, Coal synfuel, distillate fuel oil for peaking units
Power generation information
Maximum capacity	1,883 MWe (nameplate)

The Conemaugh Generating Station is a 1,711 MW baseload coal-powered plant located on 1,750 acres (7.1 km²), across the Conemaugh River from New Florence in Western Pennsylvania.

The station generates enough electricity to light 17 million 100-watt bulbs. The facility consists of two steam turbines, which began commercial operation in 1970 and 1971, and two cooling towers.

The main turbines run on steam produced by twin year-around 850 MWe boilers,^[1] each as tall as a 14-story building. The plant uses more than 4 million tons of coal each year. Conemaugh has two hyperbolic natural draft cooling towers which provide recirculating water to cool and condense the steam and to limit the amount of water needed from the river.

The plant employs about 200 people and is one of the largest employers in Indiana County. It is a subsidiary of GenOn Energy Inc. The plant is one of several in the area, situated near Pennsylvania deep mines and is basically a twin of the Keystone Generating Station, partially owned by PSEG Power.

To control emissions, the plant is equipped with electrostatic precipitators and low-NOx burners. A wet limestone flue gas desulfurization system was installed in the mid 1990s. The plant donated a particularly scenic portion of the site, known locally as Buttermilk Falls, to Indiana County for use as a wildlife refuge.

In March 2011, PennEnvironment and the Sierra Club won a favorable court ruling finding that the plant had committed 8,684 violations of the Clean Water Act by discharging waste directly into the Conemaugh River. On June 6, 2011 GenOn agreed to a $5 million settlement with $3.75 million going toward the restoration of the river. ^[2]

Key Facts: Location: New Florence, PA MW: Baseload Coal – 1700, Peaking Oil – 11 Fuel: Coal, Oil Technology: Steam Commercial Operation: Unit 1: 1970, Unit 2: 1971 Ownership: 22.5% PSEG Fossil

See also

• Keystone Generating Station
• Homer City Generating Station

References

1. ^ "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2008" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2008. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/capacity/capacity.html. Retrieved 2009-11-28. 
2. ^ "Conemaugh River power plant agrees to $5M pollution settlement". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 2011. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_740678.html. Retrieved 2011-06-06. 

External links

• http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b5010
• PSEG Fossil
• Photo of the plant