The largest coal-fired power plant in the western hemisphere can be found in the middle of Georgia, about 95 miles southeast of Atlanta. I came across this factoid in a fabulous essay by John McPhee published first in The New Yorker and later as a chapter entitled Coal Train in his book Uncommon Carriers. I had to see it for myself, so I arranged for a tour and twisted the arms of various family members to accompany me to Plant Scherer, which is near Juliette, the town made famous by the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Plant Scherer truly is astonishing to behold. This image was taken on the roof of the facility facing one of the enormous cooling towers.
