Colbert

Colbert was the very last power generation plant on my official itinerary - and it proved to be the most inaccessible site of the entire trip. I am telling you, this site might as well be a restricted military base! It is completely hidden from public sightlines.

Believe me, I looked, and looked, and looked. I even took my heavy motorcycle down a rough dirt road trying to loop around the back perimeter, but it dead-ended into thick woods before I could catch even a single glimpse of the structures. I sat there on my bike checking satellite maps on my phone for what felt like hours (though it was only a few minutes), searching for any trail or road to get a shot of the bike with the plant. No luck! Colbert won this round. That being said, here is a shot from someone else.

Historic Legacy & 2023 Modernization

While I couldn't get a photo next to the turbines, Colbert's historical importance to our power system is incredible:

• 1972 Pioneer Site: While widely famous for decades as a massive coal plant, back in 1972 our enterprise installed eight simple-cycle combustion turbines here - making them the VERY FIRST natural gas-fired CT units in our entire system!

• 2023 Modernization: After retiring the old coal units and demolishing the massive smoke stacks, three brand-new, highly efficient GE combustion turbines were brought online in 2023.

• 1,040+ MW Fleet: Combined with the reliable 1972 units, the modern Colbert Combustion Turbine Plant now packs 11 operational units totaling over 1,040 megawatts of flexible capacity.

I still wish I could have gotten the bike in a photo with it, but respecting site security is rule number one! Read more on Colbert Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here,