Preparations are underway for the expected demolition Saturday morning of the stacks and towers at the former Homer City Generating Station.
The operation will be weather dependent. It could be delayed for hours or days if weather conditions including wind speed and barometric pressure are not favorable.
The old coal-fired power plant, north of Route 22 in Indiana County, shut down in 2023. At the time, Homer City Generation LP said its decision to close the 54-year-old plant in Center Township was driven by the low price of natural gas, a spike in the cost of its coal supply, unseasonably warm winters and tightening environmental regulations.
The site had about 130 employees and had the capacity to supply power to about 2 million residences.
Homer City Redevelopment announced the demolition this week. The work is being done by Implosion Technologies, according to a blast permit secured with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The permit indicates demolition will happen at 7:30 a.m. after three countdown sirens/air horns which will start at 7:15 a.m.
There will be an exclusion zone of 3,000 feet for the public, according to details provided by Homer City Redevelopment.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
