Natural gas power station in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky
The
Paradise Combined Cycle Plant
(formerly known as
Paradise Fossil Plant
) is a
natural gas power plant
operated by the
Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA). Located just east of
Drakesboro, Kentucky
, it was the highest power capacity power plant in
Kentucky
. The plant originally consisted of three
coal
units, with a combined capacity of 2,632 MW (2,379 MW net). Units 1 and 2 were retired in 2017, and replaced with the natural gas units, and Unit 3 was retired in 2020. The
combined cycle
natural gas plant had a capacity of 1.02-gigawatts (1,025 MW) as of 2017.
[4]
History
[
edit
]
Paradise is located near the site of the former town of
Paradise, Kentucky
, on the
Green River
. Coal-fired generator Units 1 and 2, each with a capacity of 741 megawatts (704 MW net), began operation in 1963. Unit 3, with a capacity of 1,150 MW (971 MW net), began operations in 1970. The coal units had three natural draft
cooling towers
, and Paradise was the only TVA fossil fuel plant with cooling towers.
[5]
The town was razed by the TVA in 1967 over concerns that ash and other plant emissions would damage residents' health.
[
citation needed
]
A barge unloading facility was constructed in 1985 so that coal could be delivered via barge, as well as by train and truck.
The Paradise's two original coal-fired generating units were shut down in favor of two natural gas plants that were brought online for commercial production April 7, 2017.
[4]
The retirement of Units 1 and 2 reduced the coal consumption by nearly half in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.
[6]
According to the TVA, the authority made strides in cleaning up the emissions coming from their fossil fuel combustion facilities. Graphs and data from the TVA suggest that emissions in
sulfur dioxide
(
SO
2
),
nitrogen oxide
(
NO
x
), and
carbon dioxide
(CO
2
) have dropped dramatically since the mid-1970s.
[7]
In August 2018, TVA began studying the possibility of closing the remaining unit at Paradise.
[8]
A final environmental assessment prepared by the TVA concluded that the adverse environmental impact of the coal plant outweighed the need for it in the area; therefore it was decided to close it.
[9]
On February 14, 2019, the TVA board of directors voted 5?2 to shut down Paradise Unit 3 by December 2020, as well as
Bull Run
near
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
in 2023. High costs and low
capacity factor
were factors in their decision.
[10]
This decision came following intense lobbying by the
Trump Administration
and Kentucky governor
Matt Bevin
to keep the plant open.
[11]
Chief Executive,
Bill Johnson
, of the TVA said that the closing of Paradise and Bull Run's coal units will save consumers approximately $320 million.
[12]
On February 1, 2020, the last coal-fired unit at Paradise Fossil Plant was shut down after 50 years of operation.
[13]
On November 10, 2022, the TVA demolished the cooling towers of all three retired coal-firing units by controlled implosion.
[14]
[15]
[16]
TVA plans to install a solar power farm in place of the demolished cooling towers.
[17]
Cultural references
[
edit
]
In 1971, singer/songwriter
John Prine
, whose father was from Paradise, released a recording of his song titled "
Paradise
". The song describes the original site of
Paradise, Kentucky
, which was destroyed when it was strip mined for coal.
[18]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"1,100 Employed At Paradise Steam Plant"
.
The Paducah Sun
. July 4, 1963. p. 9
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
– via Newspapers.com.
- ^
"Second Unit At Paradise In Operation"
.
The Paducah Sun
. Associated Press. November 7, 1963. p. 17
. Retrieved
2020-09-01
– via Newspapers.com.
- ^
The Paducah Sun
– via Newspapers.com.
- ^
a
b
"Paradise Combined Cycle Plant"
. TVA
. Retrieved
August 25,
2018
.
- ^
"Paradise Fossil Plant"
. Tennessee Valley Authority
. Retrieved
4 February
2020
.
- ^
"US_KY_COAL_PLANT_TOUR"
. APArchive
. Retrieved
April 4,
2019
.
- ^
"Paradise Fossil Plant Emissions"
. TVA
. Retrieved
April 4,
2019
.
- ^
Flessner, Dave (August 27, 2018).
"Trouble in Paradise: TVA studies whether to close more coal plants"
.
Chattanooga Times Free Press
. Chattanooga, Tennessee
. Retrieved
February 14,
2019
.
- ^
"POTENTIAL PARADISE FOSSIL PLANT RETIREMENT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Muhlenberg County, Kentucky"
(PDF)
. TVA
. Retrieved
April 4,
2019
.
- ^
Gardner, Timothy (February 14, 2019).
"U.S. utility TVA votes to close two coal power plants, in blow to Trump"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
February 14,
2019
.
- ^
Larson, Aaron (February 14, 2019).
"TVA Mulls Coal Plant Closures, Trump Urges Board to Consider All Factors"
.
Power Magazine
. Retrieved
February 14,
2019
.
- ^
Gardner, Timothy (February 14, 2019).
"U.S. utility TVA votes to close two coal power plants, in blow to Trump"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
February 14,
2019
.
- ^
Walton, Rod (February 3, 2020).
"TVA flips breaker to disconnect 50-year-old coal-fired Paradise Unit 3"
. Power Engineering
. Retrieved
February 3,
2020
.
- ^
Kight, Adam (November 10, 2022).
"Cooling towers demolished at retired Paradise Coal Plant in Muhlenberg County"
.
WEVV-TV
. Retrieved
November 12,
2022
.
- ^
Austin, Seth (November 10, 2022).
"TVA implodes cooling towers in Drakesboro"
.
WEHT
/
WTVW
. Retrieved
November 12,
2022
.
- ^
Van Veltzer, Ryan (November 11, 2022).
"Tennessee Valley Authority implodes Paradise plant cooling towers"
.
WFPL
. Retrieved
November 12,
2022
.
- ^
Flessner, Dave (November 10, 2022).
"TVA plans solar facility atop coal ash residues in Kentucky"
.
Chattanooga Times Free Press
. Retrieved
November 12,
2022
.
- ^
Martin, Frank (October 28, 1974).
"John Prine Goes Back to What's Left of Paradise"
.
People Magazine
. Vol. 2, no. 18
. Retrieved
August 7,
2019
.
External links
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]