Homer City Generation Station Closing Update

In a news release on April 4, 2023 Homer City Generation LP announced it had informed PJM Interconnection LLC that it will decommission all of its coal units at the Homer City Generating Station in Center Township. The closure will not adversely impact the power grid serving Pennsylvania and 12 other states.

Homer City based its decision on several factors including the low price of natural gas, a dramatic spike in the cost of the ongoing coal supply, unseasonably warm winter and increasingly stringent environmental regulations. On top of all of these real challenges, Homer City faces the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Pennsylvania’s long stated intention to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Senator Joe Pittman commented, “I am steadfast in my commitment to working with my colleagues locally, in Harrisburg, and in Washington, D.C., to support the local community and invest in needed resources to make the Homer City site as productive as possible for future economic opportunity. This is a challenging day, but we are a strong community and will weather this storm together.“

As a result of the plant’s closing, the state contacted the federal government’s Rapid Response Team to explore options for bringing federal assistance to Indiana County.

Local officials have been engaged with state and federal agencies since that time to address the loss of the 129 jobs as a result of the station’s closing and the economic impact to the community.

On June 23 Representative Jim Struzzi and the House Republican Policy Committee took a closer look at Pennsylvania’s energy policy, both present and future. The

hearing was conducted at the Homer City Volunteer Fire Department. This is the link to that hearing: https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pagopvideo/478047656.mp4.