Mirant's Potomac River Generating Plant is critical to meeting the high demand for electricity in and around our nation's capital. Our location — adjacent to a major population center — allows Mirant to produce reliable and affordable electricity in a safe manner.
Potomac River Generating Plant is committed to improvement and environmental stewardship. With employee ingenuity, Mirant has made several improvements that reduce air emissions and make operations more efficient.
For detailed information about the Potomac River facility, please visit the plant's Web site»
Environmental Stewardship
We promote balanced and reasonable environmental solutions, and at all times comply with the law. Potomac River operates in accordance with Mirant's Environmental Management System (EMS) and is ISO 14001:2004 certified, indicating that we meet a widely accepted international standard for environmentally responsible operation.
The Potomac River facility is a great example of how an older plant can be upgraded to meet environmental standards of the modern era. We've invested in new equipment and technology to:
- Reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions more than 70 percent;
- Decrease oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions up to 55 percent; and
- Capture more than 98 percent of particulate matter, including fly ash.
Our environmental focus goes beyond our generating units. Potomac River employees spend time nurturing wildlife on our own property — tending a wildflower garden created for insects and pollinators. Potomac River employees also collect hundreds of pounds of trash from the Potomac River in annual watershed cleanups. These efforts have led to certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council.
Community Outreach
Potomac River Clean Up
In partnership with the National Park Service and local community groups, the plant hosts clean up events along the Potomac River. Each year our employees have hauled away several hundred pounds of debris from the river and shoreline.
Holiday Giving
The plant "adopted" a family of six children for a holiday program coordinated by the Alexandria Human Services Department. Employees provided all the gifts on the kids' wish lists, as well as groceries and a retail gift certificate for Mom.
Back, left to right: Taekia R. Blackwell, Mavis Gandayi, Brittany Ninman, Shartis K. Wright, Mohammed H. Hussein. Front, left to right: Joseph Francois-Ashbrook, Eugene Robinson, Tayyaba Syed, Ed Muller, Eskedar B. Melaku, Megan Tuck. Not present: Danielle Ashton. Photo by Steven Halperson/Tisara Photo
College Scholarships
Mirant has made a five-year commitment to sponsor the Mirant Alexandria Scholarship program, a partnership with Washington Metropolitan Scholars. Mirant is awarding $250,000 in scholarships to a total of 50 Alexandria students through 2010. The recipients, nominated by their high school principals, are selected based on their academic achievements and potential in their field of study.
Awards/Recognition
In September 2006, the Potomac River Generating Plant earned ISO 14001:2004 certification for our Environmental Management System. In simple terms, this certification means we're “doing it right” in our approach to sound environmental management, following an internationally endorsed framework of standards. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world's largest developer of standards. Only a small percentage of industrial and corporate facilities in the United States have earned this distinction — and we are proud to be among them. In addition to Potomac River, Mirant's Chalk Point and Morgantown power plants in Maryland are ISO 14001:2004 certified as are our Brandywine and Faulkner ash storage facilities.
All of Mirant's Mid-Atlantic operations are Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) certified and have received national recognition for their contributions to wildlife habitat conservation. Efforts include providing artificial nesting structures for bluebirds and finches, and planting native trees, shrubs, and aquatic plants.
Sign Up for E-mail Updates
Send us an e-mail at community.outreach@mirant.com to sign up for periodic updates about the Potomac River plant.