Avon Lake power plant to close and largely be demolished

AVON LAKE — A nearly century-old giant on the lakeshore will stop operations soon and largely be demolished within a few years. The coal-fired Avon Lake Generating Station, owned by GenOn Holdings, will close subject to a 90-day review by the market regulator PJM, the city announced Wednesday. It currently operates fewer than 50 days per year. The transfer of the plant site from GenOn to a successor organization will probably close this fall, according to the city. At that time, the transferee will assume all environmental obligations for the site. Until the deal is finalized and federal energy regulators grant approval, the prospective buyer has asked the city to keep their company name confidential. Avon Lake officials have ambitions of working with GenOn and the prospective buyer to redevelop the 40-acre site. In a news release, the city said it is "committed to the site being repurposed for public access and recreational use that contributes to the future of our City and citizens." While the facility will largely be demolished in the next few years by GenOn's successor organization, Mayor Greg Zilka said there is interest in preserving the original plant building. City officials plan to seek federal brownfield grants and other resources to aid cleanup and redevelopment efforts. The 55 employees who currently work at the plant were informed Wednesday about the closure. "We feel badly for the 50-plus employees who were told today that their job will be ending in September. We wish them well," Zilka said, adding that the city is working with Ohio Means Jobs Lorain County to help those employees. It is not known if those employees can work elsewhere for GenOn after the Avon Lake plant shuts down. The city is anticipating a short-term impact on property taxes as it absorbs the loss of property tax revenue generated by the plant. Avon Lake Schools will also be impacted by the loss, but it is not immediately clear how severe the impact will be on the district. Built between March 1925 and July 1926, the plant cost approximately $30 million, according to the Cleveland Historical Society. Capable of producing 400,000 horsepower at that time, the Avon Lake plant was the largest of its kind in the world when it opened. Avon Lake residents currently do not get their power directly from the plant. This story will be updated with additional information. Contact Dylan Reynolds at (440) 329-7123 or dreynolds@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @drey1357.