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James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant, also known as Miller Steam Plant or Plant Miller, is a coal-fired electrical generation facility sitting on approximately 800 acres (320 ha) in West Jefferson, Alabama.[1] It is owned by Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company.[2]
| James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Country |
|
| Location | West Jefferson, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 33°37′55″N 87°03′38″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | Unit 1 - 1978 Unit 2 - 1985 Unit 3 - 1989 Unit 4 - 1991 |
| Owner | Alabama Power Company |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Coal |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 2,640 MW |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
The plant has four units, the first of which opened in 1978.[3] Additional units commenced operation in 1985, 1989, and 1991, respectively. Each unit has a capacity of 705.5 MWe (660 MWe net). The plant contains two natural draft cooling towers. It is situated on a main tributary to the Black Warrior River, and its ash lagoon discharges contaminants to the river.[2]
The James H. Miller Jr. Plant was cited by The Weather Channel and the Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the United States.[4] In 2023, it emitted almost 16.6 million tons of carbon dioxide, having topped the list of America's polluters for the ninth year in a row, since it surpassed the emissions from Plant Scherer in Georgia in 2015. The next largest emitter after Miller is Labadie Power Plant in Missouri. The Southern Company has a net zero target but has not enforced that on its subsidiaries, and as of 2024, Plant Miller has no scheduled closure date.[2]
Advocates from Energy Alabama argued that the continued operation of Plant Miller is harming Alabama through emissions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury, and that owners are ignoring better alternatives.[2]
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