STEVENSON, AL ― The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday the safe demolition of two 500-foot coal stacks and two boilers at its shuttered Widows Creek Fossil Plant. Small explosive charges were used to ensure debris is in manageable sizes and can be recycled as TVA readies the site for economic redevelopment.

Demolition of Widows Creek Coal Stacks; image courtesy of TVA

“For over 60 years this facility and the dedicated employees who staffed it supplied electricity to power our homes and build our region’s economy,” said Bob Deacy, TVA’s senior vice president General Projects & Fleet Services. “Today, the site is home to a large data center and this demolition is an investment in the future, making room for further development opportunities.”

Over the coming months TVA will process the metal and concrete to get the location ready for redevelopment. “TVA cares about the environment, and 100 percent of the metals once used for power production at Widows Creek Fossil Plant will be recycled, with more than 80 percent of the metal going to local recyclers in our seven-state service area,” Deacy said.

Demolition of Widows Creek Coal Stacks; image courtesy of TVA

Widows Creek Fossil Plant, named for the creek that flows through the property, spans approximately 1,500 acres. The facility began generating power on July 1, 1952, and was able to produce up to 1,800 megawatts – enough electricity to power over 1 million homes. TVA idled the plant in October 2015, due to a changing economic environment.

To reduce its carbon footprint, TVA has closed five fossil plants over the past seven years and is planning to close two more fossil plants by the end of 2030. Recently, TVA completed power uprates at its Browns Ferry Nuclear plant generating an additional 465 megawatts of carbon-free electricity. Currently, nearly 60 percent of the electricity TVA generates is carbon-free and the utility calls for continued carbon reductions over the next 20 years.

“TVA never stands still, and our unique public power model ensures we can deliver large amounts of cleaner, reliable low-cost energy that creates quality jobs and drives investment for the communities we serve,” Deacy said.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.