Benning Road Power Plant

The Benning Road Power Plant was a power plant owned by PEPCO and located in Washington, D.C. The 19-acre facility was built in 1906, and underwent several changes before being demolished in 2012.[1] The facility was powered by coal until 1976, when it was converted to petroleum. By the early 2000s, the facility was capable of producing 550 megawatts of electricity and operated for an average of 10–15 days per year.[2][3]

Benning Road Power Plant
The Benning Road Power Plant before its demolition
CountryUnited States of America
LocationWashington, D.C.
Coordinates38.899°N 76.957°W / 38.899; -76.957
StatusDecommissioned
Commission date1906
Decommission date2012
Owner(s)PEPCO
Operator(s)PEPCO
Thermal power station
Primary fuel
Power generation
Nameplate capacity550 MW

Environmental impact

The plant's location in a largely African American and low-income portion of Northeast, Washington, D.C. raised environmental justice concerns for decades.[4] The Plant produced air pollution that negatively affected neighboring communities. The facility also contributed to water pollution in the neighboring Anacostia River, releasing PCBs, lead, iron, cadmium, zinc, iron, and other hazardous materials into the waterway.[5][6] In 2011, PEPCO entered into a consent decree with the government of Washington DC due to the company's years of releases of PCBs into the river.[7][8] In 2017, PEPCO agreed to pay regulators $1.6 million for violations of the Clean Water Act.[9]

Redevelopment

In 2014, the plant was stripped of hazardous materials and then demolished, leaving a 19-acre undeveloped riverfront site in a dense urban area.[10] The facility was extremely close to the Minnesota Avenue station. There have been calls for the site to be converted into a use that is beneficial to the community.[11]

References
  1. Neibauer, Michael (August 8, 2016). "ULI suggests industrial, energy uses for decommissioned D.C. Pepco site". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  2. "BENNING AND BUZZARD POINT DECOMMISSIONING". Pepco Holdings. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  3. "Benning Service Center - Benning Power Plant Closure". www.benningservicecenter.com. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  4. "DON'T LET PEPCO EXPAND THE BENNING ROAD PLANT". Washington Post. 1989-04-16. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  5. "EPA suing Pepco for allegedly polluting Anacostia River". Utility Dive. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  6. "Reel Talk". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  7. "Pepco Benning Road Facility Plans and Deliverables". Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  8. Neibauer, Michael (November 4, 2015). "EPA sues Pepco for millions for allegedly polluting Anacostia River". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  9. "Bay Journal: Pepco agrees to pay $1.6 million penalty, curb pollution of Anacostia River". www.bayjournal.com. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  10. Matseski, Bill (2 October 2014). "Pepco Dismantling Benning Road Power Plant". Hill Rag. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
  11. Lini, Justin (15 September 2016). "An old power plant in DC's Ward 7 is ripe for redevelopment. Let's not make it a trash and recycling plant". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 2018-05-29.
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