INDIANA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — The largest coal plant in Pennsylvania announced it will stop burning coal as it plans to be decommissioned this Summer.
The Homer City Generating Station plans to begin the shutdown process on July 1. The announcement is a shift from the plant’s original decision in April 2022 to continue its operations despite economic and staffing struggles.
Over the next 90 days the company will begin doing tiered layoffs.
In a statement to The Indiana Gazette, Homer City President and CEO William Wexler said they did everything they could to keep the plant operating.
“This is an unfortunate day for us at Homer City because we did everything possible to maintain our operations,” Wexler said. “Everyone at Homer City was committed to helping power our community and no one embodied that commitment more than our workers.”
The plant’s ownership group PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. (PJM) will determine whether any upgrades or changes will be needed to ensure the supply of electricity remains reliable to the area’s it serves.
The closing would be the latest among more than 60 facilities utilizing coal for power generation to close over the past two decades. The plant’s current ownership group took over at the Center Township facility in April 2017.
