Power Plant

Built in the 1960s, this mid-century power plant operated for nearly half a century before it was eventually decommissioned. The facility housed four steam turbines and one combustion turbine system, which together helped generate electricity for the city.

The plant’s steam-powered units relied on a process that converted heat into electricity. Fuel was burned to heat water and produce high-pressure steam, which flowed through the turbines, causing them to spin and drive generators that produced electricity.

Water quality was critical to this process. Unlike ordinary drinking water, the water used to generate steam had to be carefully treated to remove minerals and other impurities. Using untreated tap water could cause mineral deposits to accumulate on turbine components, reducing efficiency and potentially damaging the machinery over time.

For decades, this facility played a role in keeping the city powered. Today, its aging equipment and industrial infrastructure stand as reminders of an era when these massive generating stations were essential to meeting the community’s electricity needs.

When the plant first came online, it was considered a state-of-the-art modern marvel with a capacity that far exceeded what was needed. By the early 2000s, the power plant was functioning at full capacity supplying power to more than 28,000 customers. When hurricanes threatened the area, plant workers tested the generating units using oil instead of natural gas. In the event of a gas pipeline disruption, the facility can power the combustion turbine system using a diesel engine. It can force-feed electricity to the other four steam-powered units to get them up and running. Also, the power plant had about five days’ worth of oil reserves for operating at half capacity or less than three days if operating at full blast. In addition to its oil reserves, the facility also had manual override and backup units to help keep the city’s hospitals running in case of a power failure.

Shutting down an electric power plant involves far more than simply flipping a switch. The closure process took seven months and included decommissioning generators, gutting the building, and laying off 20 employees.

By the time the plant ceased operations nearly a decade ago, it was rarely used. Of its five generators, only three remained operational, and they were typically called upon only during periods of extreme summer heat or winter cold, when electricity demand peaked. The remaining two units had been taken offline because they required major repairs.

Closing the facility saved the city millions in operating costs. Several displaced employees were subsequently rehired at nearby power plants, while others transferred to different positions within the city government.

In the years since the shutdown, workers have steadily dismantled the facility, removing the machinery and equipment that once helped keep the city powered. With each passing day, another piece of its industrial history disappears.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate the support. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For more amazing, abandoned places from across the Southeast, check out my photography books.