State Line Generating Plant

State Line Generating Plant
State Line Generating Plant in 2006
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationHammond, Indiana
Coordinates41°42′27″N 87°31′16″W / 41.70750°N 87.52111°W / 41.70750; -87.52111
StatusDecommissioned
Commission date1929
Decommission dateMarch 31, 2012
OwnerBTU Solutions
  • Chicago District Electric Generating Corporation
Thermal power station
Primary fuelSubbituminous coal
Cooling sourceLake Michigan
Power generation
Nameplate capacity614 MWe
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

The State Line Generating Plant was a coal-fired electrical generating station that operated from 1929 until 2012. It was located on the coast of Lake Michigan, bordering the state line separating Indiana from Illinois but within the corporate limits of Hammond, Indiana. In 2008–09, it had a year-round capacity of 515 megawatts.[1]

Most of the plant's exterior and some of its interior infrastructure dated back to its original operation in 1929, making this plant one of the oldest large-scale urban electrical generating stations in the United States at the time it ceased operations. The plant's age meant that it generated more toxic waste, such as airborne mercury and nitrogen oxides, than most other U.S. generating plants.[2]

Historically owned and operated by Commonwealth Edison, the State Line Generating Plant was later owned and operated by Dominion Resources. It was a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.[3][4] The plant reached the end of its operating lifespan and was permanently shut down on March 31, 2012.[5][6][7] Demolition was ongoing is November 2014.[8]

  1. ^ "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2008" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  2. ^ Hawthorne, Michael. "Just outside Chicago, a major polluter lurks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
  3. ^ "State Line Generating Unit No. 1: 1929" (PDF). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
  4. ^ "State Line Power Station". Dominion Resources. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
  5. ^ Hawthorne, Michael. "Aging Indiana power plant to shut down, cutting Chicago-area air pollution". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  6. ^ Tweh, Bowdeya. "State Line closure forcing 'fresh start' for workers near retirement age". Northwest Indiana Times. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  7. ^ Tejada, Gregory. "State Line generating plant's history sparks interest". Northwest Indiana Times. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  8. ^ Wernau, Julie, and Hawthorne, Michael. "When State Line plant is gone, could it become home to more pollution?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2014-12-19.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)