# Canal Generating Plant > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Canal_Generating_Plant > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Canal_Generating_Plant.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Generating_Plant > Source revision: 1299023111 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Power station in Sandwich, Massachusetts, US}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{More footnotes needed|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox power station | name = Canal Generating Plant | image = | image_caption = | country = United States | location = [Sandwich, Massachusetts](/source/Sandwich%2C_Massachusetts) | coordinates = {{coord|41|46|14.02|N|70|30|33.81|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | cost = | owner = Ironclad Energy | operator = | employees = | status = O | th_fuel_primary = Oil | th_combined_cycle = | ps_units_operational = | ps_units_manu_model = | ps_electrical_capacity = 1,226 MW | ps_electrical_cap_fac = | ps_annual_generation = | construction_began = | commissioned = 1968 | decommissioned = }} The '''Canal Generating Plant''' is a [petroleum](/source/petroleum) and [natural gas](/source/natural_gas) [electrical](/source/electric_power) [power station](/source/power_station) in [Sandwich, Massachusetts](/source/Sandwich%2C_Massachusetts). Canal 1, a [baseload unit](/source/baseload_unit), began operation in 1968 and was for many years the most efficient oil burning plant in the US. Canal 2, a cycling unit, began operation in the mid-1970s. The plant was bought by [Mirant](/source/Mirant) in 1999, now [GenOn Energy Holdings](/source/GenOn_Energy_Holdings) division of [NRG Energy](/source/NRG_Energy). It is located on [Cape Cod Canal](/source/Cape_Cod_Canal). In its heyday, the Canal plant generated the vast majority of the Cape's power, but today functions only as a [peaking plant](/source/Peaking_power_plant). In an attempt to modernize the plant, the owners constructed a 330-megawatt [Simple cycle](/source/Simple_cycle_combustion_turbine) natural gas plant capable of going online within 10 minutes, and a 1.5 MW solar array on the property. The third unit has the ability to run on #2 oil during cold periods in the winter when natural gas pipelines are constrained. In 2018 it was sold to private equity firm Ironclad Energy, a subsidiary of [Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners](/source/Stonepeak_Infrastructure_Partners).{{Cite web|url=https://www.capenews.net/sandwich/news/power-plant-quietly-changes-hands/article_5fa719b6-0a12-5674-9457-33a6020a6f0c.html|title=Power Plant Quietly Changes Hands|website=CapeNews.net|language=en|access-date=2019-05-21}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20101017/News/10170322 Mirant plant's future on the line] (October 2010) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20140531230457/http://www.capecodcommission.org/resources/regulatory/DRIdecisions/SandwichMirantCanaldecision.pdf Cape Cod Commission decision to permit storage of aqueous ammonia on site] (February 2005) *[https://www3.epa.gov/region1/npdes/mirantcanal/ EPA draft decision regarding discharge of cooling water into Cape Cod Canal] (2009) Category:1968 establishments in Massachusetts Category:Buildings and structures in Sandwich, Massachusetts Category:Cape Cod Canal Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1968 Category:Natural gas-fired power stations in Massachusetts Category:Oil-fired power stations in Massachusetts --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Canal Generating Plant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Generating_Plant) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Generating_Plant?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.