Armstrong Power Plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Armstrong Power Plant |
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Location | Washington Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°55′45″N 79°27′59″W / 40.92917°N 79.46639°W |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Commission date | 1958 1959 |
| Decommission date | 2012 |
| Owner(s) | FirstEnergy |
The Armstrong Power Station was a large power plant in Washington Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. It was located along the Allegheny River. This plant used coal to create electricity.
The power station could produce 356 megawatts (MW) of electricity. It operated for many years, from 1958 until 2012.
History of the Power Plant
The Armstrong Power Station started working in two stages. Its first part began operating in 1958, and the second part in 1959.
A very tall chimney was built at the power station in 1982. This chimney was about 1011 feet (308 meters) tall. Building it cost about $13 million.
The power plant was first owned by a company called Allegheny Energy Supply. Later, in February 2011, it became part of a larger company named FirstEnergy.
Why the Plant Closed
FirstEnergy decided to close the Armstrong Power Station on September 1, 2012. Six other power plants also closed at the same time.
This decision was made to follow new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These rules, called the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), aimed to make the air cleaner. They set new limits on pollution coming from power plants.
It would have been very expensive to add special equipment, like a scrubber, to clean the air at the Armstrong plant. Because of the high cost, the company chose to close the plant instead of upgrading it.
