Boardman_Oregon_coal_plant_at_Carty_Reservoir

The Boardman Coal Plant was a

coal-fired power plant A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide, there are about 8,500 coal-fired power stations totaling over 2,000 gigawatts capacity. They generate about a th ...

located in Boardman,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. The facility had a nameplate capacity of 550 megawatts (MWs) and is owned by

Portland General Electric Portland General Electric (PGE) is a Fortune 1000 public utility based in Portland, Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - 44% of the inhabitants ...

. In 2010, the plant was the only remaining coal powered plant in Oregon and received much attention from regional media due to its being the largest single source of

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and ...

in the state with environmental groups such as the Sierra Club calling for its closing. In 2014, PGE built a new $500 million, 450 MW combined cycle natural gas power plant, named Carty Generating Station, next to the coal plant. In October 2020, Portland General Electric announced that the coal plant has been permanently closed and was demolished in 2022, ending Oregon's legacy of coal-fired power generation.

Background

The Boardman plant was authorized in 1975, just two years before the 1977 Clean Air Act amendments, which would have required the plant to meet stricter emission standards. When it was operating, the plant accounted for 65% of stationary SO₂ emissions, and 7% of CO₂ emissions in Oregon. The Boardman plant was one of PGE's largest power stations, producing 15% of the utility's electricity in 2009.

Recent action

's original plan involved operating the plant until 2040; this would require installing over $500 million of pollution control equipment on the plant by 2017 in order to comply with federal and state clean air standards. In early 2010, however, PGE announced that they were considering an alternative plan for the Boardman plant that would close it in 2020. In April 2010, PGE decided to close the plant in 2020 to save $470 million in upgrades they would have been required to install had they kept the plant operating until 2040. The decision is contingent upon favorable decisions in a lawsuit and possible federal regulations. In December 2010, the state's environmental protection agency approved the plans for the 2020 closing. PGE started building a second gas-fired generating station at Boardman (the Carty Generating Plant) in 2014. The plant was being dismantled in 2021, with the structure being demolished in 2022.

References

{{coor, 45, 41, 36, N, 119, 48, 25, W, display=title Coal-fired power stations in Oregon Buildings and structures in Morrow County, Oregon Portland General Electric 1977 establishments in Oregon Demolished buildings and structures in Oregon Buildings and structures demolished in 2022

Background

Recent action

See also

References