23

83

18

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to Atlanta

PLANT

SCHERER

Lake Juliette

Plant Scherer

10986 Highway 87

Juliette, GA 31046

(912) 994-0022 

A Joint Venture of 

Oglethorpe Power Corporation,

Georgia Power Company, 

Florida Power & Light,

Municipal Electric 

Authority of Georgia,

Gulf Power, 

Jacksonville Electric Authority, 

and the City of Dalton, Georgia

MACON Vogtle

Hatch

SAVANNAH

ell

VALDOSTA

BRUNSWICK

McManus

MILLEDGEVILLE

S

Arkright

Nuclear Plant

Fossil-Fueled Plant

Hydro Plant

SCHERER P L A N T R O B E R T W. S C H E R E R

Operated And Maintained By
POWER FOR THE FUTURE

On 12,000 acres in Monroe County near Forsyth

sits a vital part of Georgia’s energy future and

economic growth: The Robert W. Scherer

Electric Generating Plant. The 3,520,000-kilowatt

coal-fired facility provides enough electricity in one

year to power three cities the size of nearby Macon.

Plant Scherer is one of the largest single generating

stations in the nation.

Named for Robert W. Scherer, former chairman

and chief executive officer of Georgia Power, the $2.1

billion facility is a joint venture of Oglethorpe Power

Corporation, Georgia Power Company, Florida Power

& Light (FP&L), Municipal Electric Authority of

Georgia (MEAG), Gulf Power, Jacksonville Electric

Authority (JEA), and Dalton Utilities (DU). The

plant represents a major commitment by these energy

suppliers to ensure that an adequate supply of electricity

is available to the Southeast for now and for years

ahead. The energy Plant Scherer will provide over its

40-to-60 year life will support continued growth

benefiting all Georgians.

OUR MISSION

We, the employees of

Plant Scherer, 

courageously accept the

challenge to be 

world class.

OPC

Georgia Power

FP&L

MEAG

Gulf Power

JEA

City of Dalton

UNIT 1

60.0%

8.4%

0.0%

30.2%

0.0%

0.0%

1.4%

UNIT 2

60.0%

8.4%

0.0%

30.2%

0.0%

0.0%

1.4%

UNIT 3

0.0%

75.0%

0.0%

0.0%

25.0%

0.0%

0.0%

UNIT 4

0.0%

0.0%

76.4%

0.0%

0.0%

23.6%

0.0%

PLANT SCHERER OWNERSHIP

Percentage of ownership by unit:
ABOUT THE PLANT

Unit One, the first of four self-contained, 880,000-kilowatt units, began

commercial operation in March 1982. Units Two, Three and Four followed in

February 1984, January 1987 and March 1989, respectively. Georgia Power, a

Southern Company, operates the entire facility under contract with the joint owners.

The main operating area of the plant site covers about 3,500 acres. It

includes the powerhouse and the turbine area for all four units; a 750-acre ash

disposal pond; a 300-acre ash settling pond; a 40-acre retention pond; a 90-acre

coal storage yard; and a 500-kilovolt substation that feeds electricity generated at

the plant into Georgia’s Integrated Transmission System.

The remaining 8,500 acres of property, which includes part of 3,600-acre

Lake Juliette, also is essential to Plant Scherer’s primary purpose of 

producing electricity. 

As with other power plants in the United States, Plant Scherer is operated

under licenses issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The plant

also meets or exceeds requirements of other agencies, including the federal

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state Environmental Protection

Division (EPD), U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Occupational Safety and

Health Administration (OSHA), and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC).

HOW ELECTRICITY IS PRODUCED AT PLANT SCHERER

Plant Scherer operates on the same principles as other fossil-fueled electric

generating plants. Coal that has been ground into a fine powder by a pulverizer

is blown into a furnace-like device, called a boiler, and burned. The heat produced

converts water, which runs through a series of pipes in the boiler, to steam. The

high-pressure steam turns the blades of a turbine, which is connected by a shaft

to a generator. The generator spins and produces electricity. 

Each of the four turbines at Plant Scherer is powered by a boiler capable of

producing 5.8 million pounds of steam per hour. With all four units in full

operation, the boilers burn about 1,288 tons of coal an hour, or 11 million tons

a year. The enormous amount of coal needed to operate Plant Scherer is kept in

a storage and handling area next to the powerhouse. The plant has a sophisticated

coal-handling system capable of unloading a 100-car train in a half-hour. 

The trains travel continuously between coal mines and the plant. An ample

supply of coal is maintained at the site at all times, allowing the plant to continue

operations should there be an interruption in coal deliveries.

A condenser for each unit converts turbine exhaust steam back into water

so it can be returned to the boiler for reuse in the steam-making process. In this

closed cycle, the same water is used repeatedly.

A separate loop of water drawn from Lake Juliette serves as coolant in the

condensers. After its trip through the condensers, this cooling water is pumped

through four huge cooling towers, each measuring 530 feet tall and 400 feet in

a

diameter at the base, until it is cool enough to be run through the condensers again. 

Ocmulgee River

Lake

Juliette

Ash Disposal Pond

Settling Pond

Detention Pond

Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area

Sub

Station Cooling

Towers Power

House

Visitors

Center

Main Entrance

Coal

Storage

Yard

Norfolk-Southern Railroad Main Line

River

Pumping

Station Dames Ferry

Public Use Area

To Gray

To Macon

To Forsyth

Ga. Highway 18

Transmission Lines

Holly Grove

Public Use Area

Rum Creek

U.S. Highway 23/Ga.Highway

Luther Smith Road

Plant Access Road

To Jackson

Redding Road

Holly Grove Road

To Juliette

Juliette Road

To Forsyth

Ebenezer

Metrology Lab

Rum Creek

Rum Creek Wildlife

Management Area

Plant Operating Area

(Restricted)

Water

Dams/Dykes

Public Use Areas

Game Management Checking Station

ASH DISPOSAL

POND

COAL

PRECIPITATOR

STACK

BOTTOM ASH

CONDENSED STEAM

TURBINE GENERATOR

RESERVOIR (LAKE JULIETTE)

COOLING

TOWER

STEAM

BOILER

OCMULGEE RIVER

CONDENSER COOL WATER

WARM WATER

PUMPING

STATION

TRANSFORMER

TRANSMISSION

LINES

COOLING

TOWER

MAKE UP
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

Georgia Power incorporates strict environmental standards into operating

any generating facility and Plant Scherer is no exception. More than $718 

million was invested in pollution-control equipment for this facility, about one

third of its total cost. One of Georgia’s

newest plants, Plant Scherer was built

under New Source Performance

Standards (NSPS), and has to meet

strict air-quality standards.

Samples of the plant’s coal supply

are analyzed regularly to ensure it complies with state air-quality regulations.

To further protect the environment,

electrostatics precipitators are used to

remove more than 99 percent of the fly

ash from the flue gases that leave the

boiler after the coal-burning process.

Opacity and gas monitors in the 

facility’s two 1,000-foot-tall stacks 

continually measure and record the

plant’s emissions. The use of cooling towers and the closed-loop steam cycle 

prevent any thermal pollution of Lake Juliette or nearby streams or rivers.

Environmental stewardship also is demonstrated through involvement in

various habitat enhancement activities and participation by employees in 

environmental activities within the company and the community. Through the

plant’s recycling program, tons of cardboard, paper and metal are recycled annually.

Through participation in Southern Company’s Environmental Excellence

Program, Plant Scherer monitors all environmental trends and makes continuous

ECONOMIC EFFECT

Plant Scherer has had a significant

effect on the economic vitality of Butts,

Jones, Monroe and Bibb counties. It

will continue to do so throughout its

40-to-60 year operating life.

The facility permanently 

employees about 400 people, most of

whom live in Monroe and adjoining

counties. It has an annual payroll of

nearly $16 million.

In addition, Monroe County

receives more than $6 million each 

year in property taxes. The plant’s

recreational facilities also help make 

the region attractive to industry, 

business, homeowners and tourists.

Plant Scherer not only contributes

to the economy of central Georgia but

also helps assure an adequate supply 

of electricity for the entire Southeast’s

economic growth.

Each cooling tower circulates 268,000 gallons of water per minute in this

continuous, closed-loop cycle, losing 8,000 gallons of that through evaporation.

This lost cooling water constantly is replenished with more from the lake.

Because the stream that feeds into Lake Juliette, Rum Creek, is too small to

supply the water needed for Plant Scherer’s operation, a pumping station transfers

additional water from the nearby Ocmulgee River to the lake. Pumping is done

only when the river is high enough to keep downstream users from being affected.

As electricity is generated at Plant Scherer, it is conducted to a power transformer in a adjacent substation, which increases the voltage. The high voltage

electricity is then fed into transmission lines for distribution throughout the state.

improvements to the plant. Protecting

the air, soil, water and wildlife is of 

paramount importance to Plant

Scherer’s employees. The

Environmental Excellence Program

helps create the highest possible

awareness among employees. They

take pride in seeing that their plant

attains or exceeds all environmental

regulations, helping to solidify 

the company’s position, as an 

environmental leader. It is our policy

to comply with or exceed all environmental laws and regulations. Plant

Scherer’s management gives this issue

the highest priority.
EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Plant Scherer’s team of employees is the foundation of the plant. They 

participate in many programs through the Citizens of Georgia, a non-profit 

employee service organization.

Employees also actively participate and contribute to many community 

service organizations including March of Dimes, United Way and Habitat for

Humanity. They actively join in American Red Cross blood drives and

“Marrowthons.” They act as mentors and participate in programs such as AdoptA-School, Powertown, an electricity safety program, and Environmental Teacher

Corp. They are educating the community about energy, safety, and Georgia Power.

SAFETY & HEALTH

The health and well being of

employees at Plant Scherer is of the

utmost importance. Safety is top 

priority in each of the many daily

work activities, which stretch over this

large facility. The employees’

commitment to creating the safest

work environment in the nation is

exemplified by their various actions

ranging from daily safety briefings,

training and safety observations, to

signs and banners, recognition programs and even the safety flag that soars above the plant’s entrance.

The safety philosophy of all Plant Scherer workers can be found in one

simple statement by Anthony James, plant manager, who says “No job is so

urgent or so important that it can’t be done safely.” Remembering this one

simple statement lets everyone know that the safety and health of employees

truly is priority No.1.

RUM CREEK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

The dual-purpose concept of the land within Plant Scherer’s boundaries

that constitutes the Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an example

of what a public utility and a state agency can do in partnership to promote both

outdoor recreation and research. It also afforded Plant Scherer the opportunity

to host and provide a training site for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Rowing Teams.

Georgia Power acquired the land, and the company entered into a lease

agreement with the Game and Fish Division of the Georgia Department of

Natural Resources to manage Lake Juliette and some of its surrounding uplands,

a total of about 8,500 acres. According to the agreement, this area is available to

Georgians for hunting, fishing, boating and sailing as long as the activities comply

with agency rules and regulations and do not interfere with plant operations.

The lake has two secure public-use areas managed by Georgia Power’s Land

Department: The 65-acre Dames Ferry Public Use Area, located on the east side

of the lake on Hwy. 87, and the 25-acre Holly Grove Public Use Area, located

on the upper west side on Holly Grove Road. Each site features a double-lane

concrete boat-launching ramp, paved parking lot, small boat dock, picnic tables

and restroom facilities. Dames Ferry Park also features a staffed full-service

campground complete with pavilions, showers, grills, ice, drinks, full campsite

hookups and dump station.

When land was being cleared for the lake, standing timber was left in 

designated areas to provide nesting and shelter for waterfowl and to provide 

protection for smaller fish. Fish habitats also were constructed in shallow water,

and there are marked boat trails throughout. Lake Juliette is designed as a quiet

fishing lake, therefore water skiing and boats with more than 25-hp engines are

not permitted.
OGLETHORPE POWER CORPORATION

Oglethorpe Power Corporation (OPC) is America’s top power supply 

corporation in numbers of people served. More than two million people receive

their electricity from the 39 electric membership cooperatives that founded

Oglethorpe in 1974. Since then, Oglethorpe Power has become the nation’s

largest electric cooperative in kilowatt-hour sales. Oglethorpe also ranks among

the nation’s top 10 electric utilities in areas served, providing power to its 

member systems for distribution across 71 percent of Georgia.

GEORGIA POWER COMPANY

Georgia Power is the fourth largest electric utility in the nation. It also is

the largest company in the Southern Company electric system, which provides

electricity to 11 million people in the Southeast. Georgia Power operates a

14,437-megawatt system, which includes 40 generating units and the state’s

Integrated Transmission System. In addition to serving more than 1.7 million

customers directly, Georgia Power sells wholesale electricity to municipal and

cooperative suppliers.

FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY

Florida Power & Light Company, founded in 1925, provides electricity 

to nearly half the population of Florida, more than six million people along the

east coast and across the southern portion, including some of the fastest growing

areas in the nation. FPL’s 13 power plant sites use a diverse and balanced fuel

supply, including nuclear power, natural gas, coal and oil, with an emphasis on

economy and environmental compatibility. FPL’s employees have been recognized

for their contributions to the electrical industry, to their communities and, in

1989, for their commitment to the advancement of quality customer services

when they received Japan’s prestigious Deming Prize.

MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC AUTHORITY OF GEORGIA

Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) was created by the 1975

Georgia General Assembly. It is the wholesale power supplier to 47 cities and

one county, each of which operates its own distribution system. Approximately

750,000 Georgians receive electricity from these participants. MEAG’s primary

power sources are four jointly owned electric generating plants. MEAG also

owns 1,135 miles of transmission lines and 125 substations that are part of the

state’s Integrated Transmission System.

GULF POWER COMPANY

Gulf Power is an investor-owned utility serving more than 296,000 

customers in 10 counties in northwest Florida. It is one of the five operating

companies that make up the Southern Company electric system. Gulf Power

wholly owns and operates three power plants with a generating capacity of

1,469 megawatts. The company is a joint owner of Plant Daniel in Mississippi

and Unit 3 of Plant Scherer. The company has operating revenues of more than

$529 million.

JACKSONVILLE ELECTRIC AUTHORITY

Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), owns operates and manages a 

municipal electric system, established in 1895. JEA is the largest municipally

owned utility in Florida. It currently serves more than 330,000 customers in 

the Jacksonville area. JEA is a joint owner with FPL of the St. Johns River 

Power Park. JEA’s total generating capacity is 2,600 megawatts. 

DALTON UTILITIES

One of the oldest power suppliers in Georgia, Dalton Utilities (DU) 

provides electricity for 25,000 people. A department of the city of Dalton, it

also provides water, gas and sewage services. One of its most significant 

undertakings was to invest in generating and transmission facilities with Georgia

Power and other suppliers. The citizens of Dalton voted to issue municipal

bonds for this project to minimize the cost of electricity for Dalton users.

The lands and waters of Lake Juliette are scientifically managed to provide

and attract diverse wildlife habitats beneficial to a number of species, including

white-tailed deer, grey and red fox squirrels, rabbits and several bird species. 

The area is being used as an outdoor laboratory by wildlife biologists who

are conducting a number of research projects to protect endangered plant species

and to explore ways in which wildlife populations can expand and thrive. Students

of all educational levels come to Rum Creek to observe and learn about Georgia’s

wildlife management.