CU decommissions plant

City Utilities of Springfield decommissioned the majority of the power-generation operations of the James River Power Station.

CU spokesperson Joel Alexander said regulators gave approval in December for the last two of five steam turbines to be retired. They were last used in 2018, following the retirement of the first three turbines in 2017. The turbines generated electricity via natural gas and coal from 1957-2018, according to a news release issued last week.

Alexander said two combustion turbines remain at the 5701 S. Kissick Ave. plant located adjacent to Lake Springfield. The turbines, which generate power via natural gas, remain available for peak demand days, he said.

The property also serves as home base for CU's advanced metering infrastructure employees as well as offices for other departments, Alexander said. Next up, CU plans to examine how best to use the building and its equipment.

"There may be some machinery that can be utilized by CU or sold to other utilities," Alexander said via email. "The structure itself is being researched as to how it might best be used for the future."

CU officials say the retirement of most of the station's power-generating capabilities was possible because of the 2010 addition of the John Twitty Energy Center in southeast Springfield and an enhanced renewable portfolio.

CU previously announced that 45% of power in 2020 was sourced from renewable energy, such as wind and solar. The remainder came through market purchases and traditional coal and natural gas generation, according to past reporting.