The former Logan Generating Plant, one of New Jersey's last two coal-fired power stations, was demolished Friday morning in Swedesboro after nearly 30 years of operation at the site overlooking the Delaware River in Gloucester County.
The 225-megawatt unit was shut down in the spring after the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a petition by Atlantic City Electric, which had modified purchasing contracts between the utility and Logan Generating Station in the spring.
The implosion took place at 11 a.m., bringing down the plant's 430-foot-tall smoke stack and 190-foot-tall boiler. The facility was constructed in 1994.
Video of the implosion can be viewed below (the structures come down around the 40 second mark, and another angle can be viewed on YouTube).
Posted by Pete Fiore on Friday, December 2, 2022
The coal-fired plant was one of two that Starwood Energy agreed to shut down in March, along with the Chambers Cogeneration Plant in Carney's Point.
“The days of coal barges floating up the Delaware – and the coal pollution from one of the state’s last coal plants – is now officially over," said Doug O'Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. "The death of coal plants is a welcome sign of the times for South Jersey – it’s time to retire fossil fuel dinosaurs from our electric sectors. The climate and air pollution were real blights on South Jersey and contributed to poor air quality in Gloucester County."
The agreement to close the Logan Generating Station and the Chambers Cogeneration plant is estimated to save New Jersey ratepayers $30 million over the next two years.
Starwood Energy plans to transition the Swedesboro site into a clean energy facility, though details about future plans were not provided in advance of the implosion on Friday morning.
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New Jersey has made an aggressive push to leave behind fossil fuel plants in favor of renewable energy sources. Gov. Phil Murphy has established a goal for New Jersey to use 100% clean energy by 2050, including an offshore wind goal of 7,500 megawatts by 2035 and 11,000 megawatts by 2040.
Last year, NJBPU approved the nation's largest combined offshore wind project, Atlantic Shores and Ocean Wind II, awarding a combined 2,658 megawatts of capacity to the initiative off the state's coast. The projects are part of a wider national initiative to ramp up wind energy projects, some of which have faced opposition from coastal communities including Jersey Shore towns.
Clean energy advocates have called wind energy a vital piece of the nation's efforts to combat the effects of climate change.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish New Jersey as the epicenter of a new industry that will provide tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic benefits when we need it most,” NJBPU president Joseph L. Fiordaliso said last June. “Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, we have made significant progress toward our goal of 7,500 MW of offshore wind by 2035 and will continue fighting for a clean energy future that benefits all New Jersey residents, improves public health, mitigates climate change and bolsters our economy with sustainable, good-paying jobs.”