Rogers Energy Complex

Formerly: Cliffside Steam Station
Retirement: 2011 (Units 1-4)
Capacity: 1,387 megawatts
Location: Cleveland and Rutherford counties, North Carolina
Commercial Date: 1940
Status: Operating

Construction for Cliffside’s first unit took a year and a half to complete. That was back in 1939, when power sales in the area had increased 60% in five years. 

Construction of the plant influenced the town’s framework as families moved into the area to build and manage the plant. That first 38-MW unit, along with units 2, 3 and 4 – a total of 198 MW – were retired on October 1, 2011. These units are now part of the company’s decommissioning and demolition program.

Located one-half mile from the original four units is unit 5 in Rutherford County, N.C. In an effort to reduce emissions since its first commercial year in 1972, two upgrades were added to the unit:

• 2002 – A selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that reduced nitrogen oxide emissions by approximately 80%.
• 2010 – A flue gas desulfurization system (scrubber) that reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by approximately 95%.

However, it’s the commercial operation of unit 6 on Dec. 30, 2012, that culminated the modernization project at the site. More than four years of construction resulted in a revolutionary clean-coal unit that can generate up to 825 MW – enough to power 660,000 average-sized homes.

Have a Question? Email your questions to:
CoalAshQuestions@duke-energy.com