Oregon’s last coal-fired power plant gets explosive sendoff

Portland General Electric’s plant near Boardman came down in a cloud of dust and smoke

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Demolition crews used mostly “shaped charges” to bring down the Boardman Coal Plant.

Courtesy to PDXtoday

Explosives toppled Portland General Electric’s (PGE) shuttered coal-fired power plant last week — the last plant of its kind in Oregon. Crews expect to complete the demolition project within a year or so.

The Boardman Coal Plant operated from 1980-2020 about 170 miles east of Portland in the Columbia River Gorge. At peak output, the plant reportedly burned through five-and-a-half tons of coal per minute, producing enough electricity to power about 500,000 homes.

PGE is investing in more renewable and non-polluting power sources, with plans to replace the power generated by Boardman Coal with wind and solar power generated by the nearby Wheatridge Renewable Energy facility.

Explosives toppled a 19-story boiler building + a 656-ft smokestack.

Courtesy to PDXtoday

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Cambrie is a born-and-raised Oregonian who worked at a Portland TV news station before helping launch PDXtoday in December 2021. She loves horseback riding, burying her nose in a fantasy book, traveling near and far + finding a good chai tea latte.
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