Monroe Power Plant
Encyclopedia
The Monroe Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Monroe, Michigan
on the western shore of Lake Erie
. It is owned by the Detroit Edison
Company, a subsidiary of DTE Energy
. The plant was constructed in the early 1970s and was completed in 1974. The plant has 4 generating units, each with an output of 850 megawatts. With all four generating units operating, the plants total output is 3,300 megawatts, the eleventh largest electric plant in the United States. It is the second largest coal fired plant in the United States after Georgia Power
's Plant Bowen near Cartersville, Georgia
The Monroe Power Plant did significant upgrades and maintenance at the facility in late 2007 and 2008. FGD's, or sulfur-oxide "scrubbers", are in the process of being added to all of Monroe's generating units. These devices significantly reduce emitted sulfur dioxide
(SO2), and will be eventually installed in more of Detroit Edison's coal plants.
The Monroe Power Plant connects to the power grid by numerous 120,000 and 345,000 volt transmission line
s, owned and maintained by International Transmission Company (ITC). Two of the 345kv lines going out of the plant interconnect with First Energy in Ohio
(Bayshore-Monroe line and the Majestic-Monroe-Allen Junction Line).
In January 2009, Sue Sturgis of the Institute of Southern Studies compiled a list of the 100 most polluting coal plants in the United States in terms of coal combustion waste (CCW) stored in surface impoundments like the one involved in the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill. The data came from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for 2006, the most recent year available.
Monroe Power Plant ranked number 5 on the list, with 4,110,859 pounds of coal combustion waste released to surface impoundments in 2006.
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
on the western shore of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. It is owned by the Detroit Edison
Detroit Edison
The Detroit Edison Company, founded in 1903, is an investor-owned electric utility which serves most of Southeast Michigan. Its parent company, DTE Energy , provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area.- History :...
Company, a subsidiary of DTE Energy
DTE Energy
DTE Energy Co. is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide....
. The plant was constructed in the early 1970s and was completed in 1974. The plant has 4 generating units, each with an output of 850 megawatts. With all four generating units operating, the plants total output is 3,300 megawatts, the eleventh largest electric plant in the United States. It is the second largest coal fired plant in the United States after Georgia Power
Georgia Power
Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
's Plant Bowen near Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville, Georgia
Cartersville is a town in Bartow County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 19,7314. The city is the county seat of Bartow County.-Geography:Cartersville was named for Colonel Farish Carter....
The Monroe Power Plant did significant upgrades and maintenance at the facility in late 2007 and 2008. FGD's, or sulfur-oxide "scrubbers", are in the process of being added to all of Monroe's generating units. These devices significantly reduce emitted sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
(SO2), and will be eventually installed in more of Detroit Edison's coal plants.
The Monroe Power Plant connects to the power grid by numerous 120,000 and 345,000 volt transmission line
Transmission line
In communications and electronic engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable designed to carry alternating current of radio frequency, that is, currents with a frequency high enough that its wave nature must be taken into account...
s, owned and maintained by International Transmission Company (ITC). Two of the 345kv lines going out of the plant interconnect with First Energy in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(Bayshore-Monroe line and the Majestic-Monroe-Allen Junction Line).
In January 2009, Sue Sturgis of the Institute of Southern Studies compiled a list of the 100 most polluting coal plants in the United States in terms of coal combustion waste (CCW) stored in surface impoundments like the one involved in the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill. The data came from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for 2006, the most recent year available.
Monroe Power Plant ranked number 5 on the list, with 4,110,859 pounds of coal combustion waste released to surface impoundments in 2006.