Michigan City Generating Station

Michigan City Generating Station
Aerial photo of Michigan City Generating Station in January 2009
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationMichigan City, Indiana
Coordinates41°43′16″N 86°54′35″W / 41.72111°N 86.90972°W / 41.72111; -86.90972
StatusOperational
Commission dateUnit 12 (coal): May, 1974
Unit 2 (gas): Nov, 1950
Unit 3 (gas): Oct, 1951
OwnerNiSource
Thermal power station
Primary fuelSubbituminous and Bituminous coal, natural gas
Turbine technologySteam turbine
Power generation
Nameplate capacity680 MWe
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

Michigan City Generating Station is a coal and natural gas-fired power plant located on the shore of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana. It is operated by Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), owned by NiSource.

The station was built on the location of a large sand dune, the Hoosier Slide, which had been removed by mining for glassmaking sand.[1][2]

Hyperboloid cooling tower of the Michigan City Generating Station.

Future

NIPSCO announced plans in 2018 to continue to operate the Michigan City Generating Station in the short term but to allow it to run down, pending final shutdown in approximately 2028. The demolition of the station would free up approximately 1 mile of Lake Michigan lakefront space.[3]

Misconception

The use of a hyperboloid cooling tower at the station has been mistaken as evidence for a nuclear power plant at this location when in fact there are no nuclear power plants in the state of Indiana. A nuclear power plant was proposed for the Bailly Generating Station approximately 17 km to the south-southwest but was canceled in 1981.

See also

References

  1. ^ Ashcraft, Jenny (January 19, 2022). "Indiana's Most Famous Landmark Disappears". Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  2. ^ "100 Years Ago, the Most Famous Landmark in Indiana Vanished". OrangeBean. January 25, 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  3. ^ Ortega, Veronica (September 25, 2018). "NIPSCO announces it plans to shut down its Michigan City coal-fired power plant". wsbt.com. WSBT-TV. Retrieved June 8, 2020. For nearly 90 years this NIPSCO plant has been a fixture on Lake Michigan.