3166 is a lot of megawatts to come offline and Southern Co. will have to replace it but the plant was being shut down for maintenance at the time so today's natty move may have been an overreaction.
From Reuters:
Georgia Power Bowen coal plant shut after explosion
Southern Co's largest utility unit, Georgia Power, said it had shut its 3,166-megawatt Plant Bowen coal-fired station after an explosion Thursday afternoon.
The explosion took place at Bowen Unit 2, which was being shut for unspecified maintenance work, according to a company release.
Plant Bowen, located in Bartow County, northwest of Atlanta, is one of Southern Co's largest fossil-fueled power plants with four coal units.
The firm reported four minor injuries, with one person treated at a local hospital.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
Earlier this year, Georgia Power told state regulators it wanted to shut a small oil-fired unit at Plant Bowen and to install two baghouses at Bowen Units 3 and 4, along with other pollution control equipment at all four Bowen units to comply with stricter federal air emission standards.
