DAGSBORO, DE - After nearly 70 years, the coal-fired Indian River Power Plant in Sussex County has officially been retired.
Energy company NRG, which operated the station, tells WBOC the plant was deactivated yesterday, February 23, 2025. The station was first opened in 1957.
Originally scheduled for decommission in 2022, the Indian River Power Plant was kept operational while transmission upgrades were conducted to ensure no issues with grid reliability. Those upgrades were expected to take place well into 2026, but Delmarva Power was able to complete them ahead of schedule, according to transmission company PJM.
In December, PJM announced the plant would be closing 22 months early.
“The retirement of the plant means the end of an era of dedicated service,” a spokesperson for NRG said in a statement to WBOC in December. “We empathize with the impact this has on our dedicated employees and the local Delaware residents, but are grateful for the opportunity to ‘keep the lights on’ and serve in partnership with the community for more than 68 years.”
NRG says employees at the generator would be offered the opportunity to apply for other positions within the company.