The O.H. Hutchings Electric Generating Station, located in Ohio, was once a prominent example of the United States’ reliance on coal power plants.
The O.H. Hutchings Electric Generating Station, located in Ohio, was once a prominent example of the United States’ reliance on coal power plants. The post-World World II years witnessed an insatiable demand for electricity propelled by rapid industrial, commercial, and residential development. To keep pace with the surging demand, Dayton Power & Light Company embarked on a colossal construction program, breaking ground for a large coal-fired power plant along the Great Miami River in 1946.
In July 1948, the first 69 MW unit at the O.H. Hutchings Electric Generating Station was powered on. A second 69 MW unit was activated in March 1949, and the other four 69 MW units were brought online in the following four years, giving the Hutchins a total of 414 MW.
Coal power plants have been a staple of electricity generation in the US since the 19th century, but their decline began in the 21st century, usurped by the rise of cheaper natural gas production and the introduction of mainstream wind and solar power facilities. A combination of the need for additional costly environmental controls, rising costs because of an aging facility, and stagnant demand led to eroding profit margins. Dayton Power & Light decided it was not cost-efficient to install new pollution control equipment or convert the plant to operate from natural gas, and it closed Hutchings in October 2015.
Today, the O.H. Hutchings Electric Generating Station stands as a testament to the decline of coal power plants in the US. The plant is currently being abated, and the building will be repurposed for residential and recreational purposes.
