Conemaugh Generating Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Conemaugh Generating Station |
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Conemaugh Generating Station
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| 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 |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | Unit 1: May, 1970 Unit 2: May, 1971 |
| Owner(s) | PSEG Fossil, others |
The Conemaugh Generating Station is a large power plant in Western Pennsylvania. It uses coal to make electricity. This plant is located near the Conemaugh River in a place called New Florence. It covers a large area, about 1,750 acres.
How the Plant Works
This power plant makes a lot of electricity. It can power as many as 17 million light bulbs! The station has two main machines called steam turbines. They started working in 1970 and 1971. There are also two large cooling towers at the plant.
The turbines run on steam. This steam comes from two huge boilers. Each boiler is as tall as a 14-story building! The plant uses more than 4 million tons of coal every year.
Conemaugh has two tall, curved cooling towers. They help cool the steam and reuse the water. This means the plant doesn't need to take as much water from the river.
This power plant is like a twin to another plant called the Keystone Generating Station. Both are near Pennsylvania's deep coal mines.
Keeping the Air Clean
The plant has special equipment to help control air pollution.
- It uses electrostatic precipitators to catch tiny dust particles.
- It also has low-NOx burners to reduce harmful gases.
- In the mid-1990s, a system was added to remove sulfur from the smoke. This system uses limestone.
The plant even gave a beautiful part of its land to Indiana County. This area, called Buttermilk Falls, is now a wildlife refuge.
Who Owns and Works Here?
About 200 people work at the Conemaugh Generating Station. It is one of the biggest employers in Indiana County. The plant is part of a company called GenOn Energy Inc..
Protecting the Water
In 2011, there was a legal agreement about the plant's wastewater. GenOn Energy Inc. agreed to pay $5 million. Most of this money, $3.75 million, was used to help clean up and restore the Conemaugh River. This helped make the river healthier for everyone.
