ON THE COMMUNITY. FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, SMOKE IS POURED FROM THE STACKS OF THIS COAL POWER PLANT IN INDIANA COUNTY. BUT THOSE DAYS ARE NOW NUMBERED. THIS PLANT THE LATEST TO SHUT DOWN AND THE RIPPLE EFFECTS ARE BEING FELT THROUGHOUT THE REGION. AND WHEN I LOOK OUT MY MY DOOR EVERY MORNING AND I SEE THE STEAM COMING FROM THE FROM THE STACKS, I THINK IT’S A GOOD THING FOR THIS AREA. HOMER CITY BOROUGH MANAGER ROB NEMEC HAS WATCHED THOSE STACKS FOR DECADES. THE HOMER CITY GENERATING STATION, MORE THAN JUST A POWER SUPPLIER. IT’S ALSO A BUDGET BUILDER FOR BOTH HOMER CITY AND CENTER TOWNSHIP. KILLS US NOT FOR THIS YEAR, BUT PROBABLY FOR 2024 AND BEYOND. BETWEEN SCHOOL TAXES AND REVENUE FOR THE WATER AUTHORITY, NIMITZ CALLS THE PLANT’S PLANNED CLOSURE A CRIPPLING BLOW OVER CITY. GENERATE AND OWNS THE PLANT. IT’S THE LARGEST COAL OPERATED PLANT IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE COMPANY SAYS IT WILL SLOWLY SHUT DOWN TE FACILITY OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, CITING NEW FEDERAL EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS ALONG WITH THE RISING PRICE OF COAL AND THE LOW PRICE OF NATURAL GAS. FOLKS IN HOMER CITY TELLING US THE RUMBLINGS ABOUT A POTENTIAL PLANT CLOSURE HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FOR YEARS. BUT THE NEWS NOW STILL HURTS AND LEAVES A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE. WE HAVE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE GOING FORWARD AND TO SEE HOW WE CAN RECOVER FROM THIS. SEEMS LIKE WE ALWAYS DO. BUT I DON’T KNOW. I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY MORE HITS WE CAN TAKE. AS FAR AS STAFFING GOES, WE’RE TOLD 130 EMPLOYEES WILL BE IMPACTED BY THIS CLOSURE. ALL TOLD, THEY’LL B