The Nanticoke Generating Station was a coal-fired power station in Nanticoke, Ontario in operation from 1972 to 2013. It was the largest coal power station in North America and, at full capacity, it could provide 3,964 MW of power into the southern Ontario power grid from its base in Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada, and provided as much as 15% of Ontario's electricity. It was decommissioned in 2013 as part of the Government of Ontario's commitment to eliminate coal power. A 44 MW photovoltaic power station, the Nanticoke Solar Facility, was built on the site and entered service in 2019. Prior to the commencement of decommissioning, Nanticoke was one of Canada's top ten single sources of greenhouse gases. History The Nanticoke Generating Station was built on the site of the "Battle of Nanticoke", where in 1813 the Norfolk volunteer militia routed a band of American marauders who had been pillaging area farms and terrorizing the country, an exploit that inspired the British military forces and the people of Upper Canada during the War of 1812. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924. Ontario Hydro revealed plans to build a 4,000 MW fossil-fuel generating station near Long Point, Ontario in 1967. Its current site was selected in Nanticoke, Ontario, because of the nearby harbour, the proximity of United States coal supplies, and proximity to much of Ontario's population. The construction of the plant cost CAN$800 million and operations started in 1972. Eight pulverized coal-fired steam generators were built in phases between 1973 and 1978. By 1981, the plant was consuming 35,000 tonnes of coal per day. Over the years, another $900 million has been invested in making the plant more energy efficient, robust, and improving its emissions. Plant operations Power generation and distribution At full capacity (4000 MW) with all eight generating units functioning, the station's annual electricity production had been as high as 24 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), enough electricity to run nearly 2.5 million households. Although the plant houses eight generating units, four of those units have since been retired. (Two were retired in 2010, and two were retired in 2011.) The remaining four units are not in operation. Previously, power generation at this plant was on a stand-by basis, only operating during peak levels of energy consumption, or when other generating facilities are unavailable. At other times the plant would remain idle. When demand for electricity