Cane Run Generating Station
Power station in Kentucky, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cane Run Generating Station is a 640 megawatt (MW), natural gas power plant owned and operated by Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E). It is 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Downtown Louisville, Kentucky, in its Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood. It was formerly a coal power plant until 2015.
| Cane Run Station | |
|---|---|
Cane Run Station's former coal units viewed from the Louisville Loop bike trail | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 38°10′36.03″N 85°53′28.07″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | Unit 1: 1954 Unit 2: 1956 Unit 3: 1958 Unit 4: 1962 Unit 5: 1966 Unit 6: 1969 Unit 7: 2015 |
| Decommission date | Units 1–3: 1987 Unit 6: March 2015 Units 4–5: June 2015 |
| Owner | Louisville Gas and Electric |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Natural gas |
| Cooling source | Ohio River |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 1 |
| Nameplate capacity | 640 MW |
History
Cane Run began operation on its first unit in 1954 and expanded to six units by 1969.[1] Its total generating capacity was 943 (MW).[1] Sulfur dioxide (SO
2) scrubber technology, pioneered by LG&E, were installed at this plant in 1973.[1] President Jimmy Carter visited the plant in July 1979 to promote energy security during the 1979 energy crisis.[2] Units 1-3 were retired in 1987.[1] The power plant was mired in a lawsuit in 2013 from nearby residents over its dispersion of coal ash.[3] In preparation of converting to natural gas, Unit 6 was shut down in March 2015.[4] The final two units went offline in June 2015. At the same time, construction of Unit 7 was completed and began running on natural gas.[5] The former coal power plant structure was demolished by implosion on June 8, 2019.[6]
