James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant

Coal-fired power plant in Jefferson County, Alabama From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plantmap

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]

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James H. Miller Jr. Electric Generating Plant
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Country
  • United States
LocationWest Jefferson, Alabama
Coordinates33°37′55″N 87°03′38″W
StatusOperational
Commission dateUnit 1 - 1978
Unit 2 - 1985
Unit 3 - 1989
Unit 4 - 1991
OwnerAlabama Power Company
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Power generation
Nameplate capacity2,640 MW
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
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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]

See also

References

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