Texas' largest power generator speeds up coal's decline with closure of two more plants

Coal's decline in Texas accelerated this week as Luminant announced it would now close three coal-fired power plants in early 2018. Combined, they account for 12 percent of the state's coal power plant capacity.

The state's largest power generator revealed Friday that the Big Brown Plant southeast of Corsicana and Sandow Plant northeast of Austin would close next year. A week ago, Luminant announced it was shutting down its Monticello Plant near Mount Pleasant.

The three plants can produce nearly 2,300 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power nearly 2.1 million Texas homes.

Luminant officials said cheap natural gas and Texas' competitive energy market has gradually made these decades-old plants unprofitable. The state has also seen a boom in wind energy (it leads the nation)and increases in solar.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2017/10/13/texas-largest-power-generator-speeds-coals-decline-closure-two-plants