Bull Run implosion marks end of era
The iconic stacks that have towered over Claxton since 1967 will be demolished on Saturday, June 28. The implosion is another step in the decommissioning of TVA’s Bull Run site. TVA retired the plant in February 2023. (photo:Tony Cox )
“Safety is a priority, and TVA is coordinating with multiple local, state and federal agencies to ensure the implosion activities are safely completed,” TVA spokesman Scott Brooks said.
“For the safety of the public and our team, access to the site will be strictly limited to authorized personnel only,” he said. “Edgemoor Road will be closed for certain periods of time, and we discourage members of the public from attempting to gather near the site.”
Brooks warned people not to attempt to watch the event in person. Instead, TVA will capture and share video footage of the implosion on its social media channels.
The Anderson County Emergency Management Agency shared an announcement from TVA giving further details.
TVA will close Claxton Community Park and the neighboring ballfields for the day. The utility stated the Bull Run area will be off-limits to drones and aircraft and warned of “temporary bursts of loud noises.”
“This is a big moment for the site and for the community,” Brooks said. “While we are decommissioning the site, we are also preparing it for future energy projects to continue its proud legacy in the community.”
Bull Run began operations in 1967, and at the time produced the largest volume of steam of any generator in the world, according to TVA.
In its final days in 2023, it had a summer net capacity of 765 megawatts, enough to power about 440,000 homes.
TVA retired the plant in February 2023 after burning through the remaining coal on site.
The utility has since announced plans to retire all of its coal plants in favor of what it describes as more reliable and environmentally friendly power sources.
Among TVA’s proposed projects are a natural gas plant at the Kingston Fossil Plant site and a small modular nuclear reactor at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge. TVA is currently seeking permits for the nuclear project.
The utility has suggested various uses for parts of the Bull Run site. Type One Energy, a company focused on nuclear fusion research, is interested in using the plant’s administrative offices, although not the plant itself. Other proposals include boat launches, trails and synchronous condensers, which help stabilize the electric grid.
Apart from a potential solar field atop the coal ash storage areas, no power generation is currently proposed for the site.
“It’s kind of a bittersweet situation seeing the stacks go down,” said Anderson County Commissioner Tracy Wandell, who represents the Claxton community. He said residents often used the stacks as a navigational landmark.
Wandell said he hopes that the fusion research by Type One Energy will contribute to future energy needs.He also expressed concern about the future of nearby community facilities such as Claxton Community Park, the Optimist Club building and the ballfields.
He said he hopes to meet with TVA officials to clarify the future of those facilities.
