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WATCH: Power company implodes coal plant

WATCH: Power company implodes coal plant
WE WILL BRING YOU UPDATES ON AIR AND ONLINE. MARK: FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT'’ LAST STANDING COAL POWER PLANT IN THE WHOLE STATE, AND THIS MORNING, IT CAME CRASHING DOWN. THAT CHIMNEY STACK HAS BEEN TOWERING OVER INDIANTOWNOR F MORE THAN TWO DECADES. ERIN: AS OUR WAKISHA BAILEY SHOWS US, THIS MARKS A MAJOR MILESTONE IN FPL’S PLAN TO USE CLEANER SOURCES OF ENEY.RG WAKISHA: JUST LIKE THAT, IN LESS THAN 10 SECONDS, FPL SAID GOODBYE TO THE USE OF COAL AND THE COMPANY ALREADY HAS PLANS FOR THIS SITE >> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. [BM] WAKISHA: FIRST, THE COAL CHUTE, FOLLOWED BY IS MTHASSIVE NEARLY 500 FOOT STACK. THE POWER COMPANY SAYS THAT’S THE LAST OF ITS COAL FIRED GENERATING PLANT. THEY ARE NOW MOVING INTO A NEW ERA. >> WE ARE PUTTING IN A BRAND NEW SOLAR FACILITY ON THE SIDE OF THESE TREES. WAKISHA: PRESIDENT AND CEO ERIC SILAGY SPOKE WITH MEDIA FOLLOWING TODAY’S IMPLOSION. THIS NEW SOLAR ERGNEY WILLOW N BE ADDED TO FPL’S ELECTRIC GRID, BENEFITTING ALL CUSTOMS,ER SOMETHING THE COMPANY SAYS IS COST EFFECTIVE TO OPERATE THAN COAL. >> IT'S’GOING TO BE 300,000 PLUS PA NELS THAT WILL GENERATE ELECTRICITY FOR ANOTHER 15,000 HOMES. WE ARE ABLE TO LOWER CUSTOMERS BI LLS BEUSCAE COAL PLANTS ARE JUST EXPENSIVE TO OPERATE. WAKISHA: THE INDIANTOWN CONGENERATION PLANT IS FPL’S LAST COAL FIRED PLANT IN THE STATE. IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2017 AND HAS NOT GENERATED POWER SINCE THE END OF LAST YEAR. SILAGY SAYS THE NEW SOLAR FACILITY WILL USE NO WATER AND HAS ZERO EMISSIONS. >> BEING CLEAN IS SOMETHING THAT’S IMPORTANT NOT JU FORST TODAY, BUT IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. WAKISHA: WE’RE TOLD CLEAN UP OF THIS SITE WILL TAKE ABOUT A
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WATCH: Power company implodes coal plant
Florida Power & Light imploded the towering chimney stack of its last coal-fired generating plant on Wednesday, a milestone in its transition to cleaner energy sources.Puffs of smoke came from the base of the 495-foot stack and then it fell to the side in one piece, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it smashed into the ground.A demolition company used 171 pounds of explosives to implode the stack and an adjoining conveyor building in Indiantown, 30 miles north of West Palm Beach.Click the video player above to watch the demolition.The plant was built in 1995 and FPL purchased it in 2016. It shut the plant down more than two years ago.FPL will tear down the rest of the plant later this year. The company hasn’t said what it will do with the site, but it has been investing heavily in natural gas and solar-powered plants.This is part of their 20-year modernization journey to provide homes with clean, reliable and affordable energy. By 2030 the company hopes to install 30 million solar panels throughout the state."Being clean is something that's important not just for today but important for future generations," said Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO.FPL is Florida’s largest electricity producer, serving most of the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast south of Tampa Bay.This article contains information from The Associated Press.

Florida Power & Light imploded the towering chimney stack of its last coal-fired generating plant on Wednesday, a milestone in its transition to cleaner energy sources.

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Puffs of smoke came from the base of the 495-foot stack and then it fell to the side in one piece, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it smashed into the ground.

A demolition company used 171 pounds of explosives to implode the stack and an adjoining conveyor building in Indiantown, 30 miles north of West Palm Beach.

Click the video player above to watch the demolition.

The plant was built in 1995 and FPL purchased it in 2016. It shut the plant down more than two years ago.

FPL will tear down the rest of the plant later this year. The company hasn’t said what it will do with the site, but it has been investing heavily in natural gas and solar-powered plants.

This is part of their 20-year modernization journey to provide homes with clean, reliable and affordable energy. By 2030 the company hopes to install 30 million solar panels throughout the state.

"Being clean is something that's important not just for today but important for future generations," said Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO.

FPL is Florida’s largest electricity producer, serving most of the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast south of Tampa Bay.

This article contains information from The Associated Press.