Paradise Combined Cycle Plant
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 largest megawatt capacity power plant in Kentucky. The plant currently has a capacity of 1.02-gigawatts (1,025 MW).[1] 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.
| Paradise Combined Cycle Plant | |
|---|---|
 Former Coal Units, now shut down | |
| |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Muhlenberg County, near Drakesboro, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 37.25°N 86.97°W |
| Commission date | Coal Units 1–2: 1963 Unit 3: 1970 Natural Gas Units 1–3: 2017 |
| Decommission date | Coal Units 1–2: 2017 Unit 3: 2020 |
| Owner(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Natural gas |
| Cooling source | Green River |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3 |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,025 MW |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
History
Paradise is located near the site of the former town of Paradise, Kentucky on the Green River. 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. Paradise contains three natural draft cooling towers, and is the only TVA fossil fuel plant with cooling towers.[2]
The town was razed by the TVA in 1967 over concerns that ash and other plant emissions would damage residents' health. 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.[1] The retirement of Units 1 and 2 reduced the coal consumption by nearly half in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.[3] 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.[4]
In August 2018, TVA began studying the possibility of closing the remaining unit at Paradise.[5] A final environmental assessment prepared by the TVA concluded that the adverse environmental impacts of these fossil plants outweighed the need for them in this community; therefore it was necessary to close them.[6] 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 were factors in their decision.[7] This decision came following intense lobbying by the Trump Administration and Kentucky governor Matt Bevin to keep the plant open.[8] 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.[9] On February 1, 2020 the last coal-fired unit at Paradise Fossil Plant was shut down after 50 years of operation.[10]
Cultural references
In 1971, singer/songwriter John Prine, whose father was from Paradise, released a recording of his song titled "Paradise". The song describes the town, which was strip mined for coal.[11]
References
- "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.
- 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.