Duke Energy implodes remaining coal stacks of Crystal River's retired coal plant
All that remained of Duke Energy’s retired Crystal River coal plant, built in the 1960s that generated 915 megawatts of energy for more than 50 years, were two 500 feet-tall coal stacks, which were gone in the blink of an eye, early Saurday morning, November 13, when they were imploded with about 350 explosives, about 9:30 am. The implosion was delayed for about an hour and a half due to heavy fog.
The coal plant's two powerhouses were imploded on June 12, 2021, using more that 500 explosives to bring them down.
The coal plant was retired in 2018, when Duke Energy opened the 1,640-megawatt Citrus Combined Cycle Station, which harnesses energy from natural gas, as part of a campaign to replace coal plants with cleaner alternatives.