Dan River Steam Station

Retirement: 2012
Capacity: 276 megawatts
Location: Rockingham County, North Carolina
Commercial Date: 1949
Status: Retired and demolished

In 1948, construction began on a then cutting-edge coal unit in Rockingham County, N.C. Units 1 and 2 came online in 1949 and 1950, respectively. A third unit was added by 1955, creating a net generating capacity of 276 megawatts (MW).

However, by 2008 the technology had quickly surpassed the three units that comprised the station. Duke Energy announced plans to retire the station's three units, along with three natural gas combustion turbines that had been in operation since 1968. When the three units were retired on April 1, 2012, the company was already in the midst of replacing the outdated technology. A few hundred yards away, a new natural gas facility was near completion.

The final months of 2012 saw the retirement of the smaller gas units in October and commercial operation of Dan River Combined-Cycle Station in December. The 620-MW station now in service is cleaner and more efficient, serving up to 620,000 customers – nearly double the capacity of the retired steam station.

Demolition of the Dan River Steam Station was completed in 2017 following a series of implosions and mechanical removal of plant facilities.