Talen Energy to stop burning coal at Montour facility by end of 2025

Talen Energy Corporation said this week it will cease burning coal at its Montour power generation facility in Pennsylvania by the end of 2025, while also investing in renewable energy and battery storage projects.

In a company announcement, Talen said it plans to eliminate the use of coal by 2025 at its wholly-owned fossil fleet facilities, which in addition to the Montour power plant, also includes its Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner coal generation facilities in Maryland by 2025. Talen will repurpose those facilities in the same manner as its Brunner Island general facility in Pennsylvania, which previously committed to transition from coal by the end of 2028.

The company also plans to focus on building a business model that accelerates Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)-related  infrastructure investments across Talen’s power platform.

“Talen is pleased to play a leading role in driving toward a lower carbon future,” Talen Energy Chairman and CEO Ralph Alexander said. “We are among the first in the competitive power generation industry to commit to an accelerated transition from coal. This step, coupled with our ESG infrastructure investments, are good for our business and all our stakeholders, including the communities in which our plants are located.”

All four facilities represent roughly 5 gigawatts of generating capacity, more than 30 percent of Talen’s total generating capacity.

“By moving to repower these sites for the future, we maintain our longstanding economic commitment to our communities, while also providing the environmental benefits of a lower carbon footprint,” Alexander said.

As part of its transition plan, Talen is developing renewable energy and battery storage projects at strategic locations across its asset portfolio. Talen intends to repower the impacted plants to run on alternate fuel sources, with some assuming the role of capacity resource. Talen expects to continue to support grid reliability and maintain operations in the markets and communities it has been part of for decades.

“Talen’s move away from coal and future growth will be underpinned by approximately 1 gigawatt of renewable energy (solar and wind) and battery storage projects currently under development across our existing asset footprint,” Talen Energy President Alex Hernandez said.

Additionally, Talen urges Pennsylvania and Maryland decision-makers to invest in clean energy and transition support for affected workers and communities.

“Our first 100 megawatt solar generation joint project will be located adjacent to our Montour generation facility in Washingtonville, Pennsylvania. We anticipate the project will break ground in the fourth quarter of 2021 and be one of the largest renewable energy investments in the Commonwealth.”

Customers are looking for clean power offerings that meet their reliability and cost requirements, Hernandez said.