The Victor J. Daniel Jr. coal plant — now the largest electric generator in Mississippi — began pumping out power in 1977. In 2001, it got a second life, when owner Mississippi Power added two new turbines that could run on natural gas. Plant Daniel’s coal furnaces were supposed to shut down in 2027.
But now, the plant is slated for a third act. Georgia Power won regulatory approval to buy power from that plant through 2028, due to what the utility called “unprecedented” growth in electricity demand.
Coal-powered generation of electricity has steadily declined in the United States over the past 15 years, driven out by cheaper fuel sources including natural gas, wind and solar — cutting a main source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions…