Talen to close coal-fired plants in transition to renewable energy sources

Talen Energy announced that it will eliminate coal use at all its facilities as it transforms its assets and business model toward an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) focused future.

As part of this effort, Talen’s Montour facility in Pennsylvania and Brandon Shores and H.A. Wagner facilities in Maryland will cease coal-fired operations by the end of 2025. Also, Talen’s Brunner Island facility in Pennsylvania has committed to the transition from coal by the end of 2028.

These represent approximately 5 Gigawatts of generating capacity and over 30 percent of Talen’s total generating capacity. Talen intends to repower these plants to run on alternate fuel sources.

“Talen is pleased to play a leading role in driving toward a lower carbon future. 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. 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. This balance is a direct reflection of our “No Harm” culture,” Ralph Alexander, chairman and CEO at Talen Energy, said.

At the same time, Talen is developing renewable energy and battery storage projects at strategic locations across its asset portfolio.

“Talen’s move away from coal and future growth will be underpinned by approximately one Gigawatt of renewable energy (solar and wind) and battery storage projects currently under development across our existing asset footprint,” Alex Hernandez, president of Talen Energy, said. “Our first 100 Megawatt solar generation joint project will be located adjacent to our Montour generation facility in Washingtonville, Pennsylvania.”

Construction on that new facility will begin in the fourth quarter of 2021. It will be one of the largest renewable energy investments in the state.

“Customers in our markets are looking for clean power offerings that meet their reliability and cost requirements. Talen’s combination of renewables, zero-carbon nuclear, and battery storage assets will provide a clean, affordable, and reliable power solution to our customers,” Hernandez added.