Controlled Explosive Demolition at Lakeland’s McIntosh Power Plant Closing East Lake Parker Drive for Several Hours on Saturday Morning
Lakeland, Florida – Specialty contractors demolishing structures at the McIntosh Power Plant in Lakeland on Saturday morning January 14 will close East Lake Parker Drive for about two hours to maintain a prescribed exclusion zone. The City of Lakeland Police Department will block and or redirect traffic from 6:30 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. or until the “all clear” has been given.
In January 2021, Lakeland commissioners unanimously approved Lakeland Electric’s plan to begin decommissioning the McIntosh plant on March 31, 2021 – three years ahead of the prior timeframe of Fall 2024. According to Joel Ivy, Lakeland Electric’s general manager, the utility had spent significant money fixing various issues with Unit 3, causing the coal plant to be frequently offline. Lakeland Electric has estimated it can save US$13.1 million by decommissioning the plant early.
