The William H. Zimmer coal-fired power plant in Moscow closed on May 31.
On May 31, Media Relations Manager Jenny Lyon confirmed to The Sun that as scheduled, the Zimmer Power Plant would cease generating power later that evening.
Lyon explained that afterward, Vistra Corp. would begin the decommissioning process.
“The early stages include powering off the generation-related systems, removal of combustibles (coal), and general clean-up activities,” Lyon said in an email with The Sun. “Project work will continue through the summer, with the final duration of the project remaining flexible as Vistra responsibly decommissions the facility.”
Plant owner Vistra Corp. announced the closing date in July 2021.
In September 2020, Vistra announced that it would close the Zimmer power plant by “year-end 2027 or sooner should economic or other conditions dictate.”
Last year, Vistra said it is accelerating the closure of Zimmer as the company continues its transition away from coal.
Zimmer Power Plant, which opened in 1991, currently has about approximately 150 employees. The plant is a single-unit site with a capacity of 1,300 megawatts.
Zimmer says it will evaluate the site for potential investments in renewables or grid-scale battery storage, utilizing existing infrastructure; Vistra is doing this work at its plant sites across the country.
While news of the accelerated closure has made headlines, the assessed value of coal-fired power plants like Zimmer has been in a steady decline.
This follows a national trend of declining values of coal-fired power plants; many states are switching to natural gas, which is more abundant and cheaper to use, and renewable, less polluting forms of energy such as solar and wind.
On May 31, Lyon also shared that moving forward, Vistra Corp will evaluate the Zimmer site for potential investments in renewables or grid-scale battery storage, utilizing existing infrastructure.