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It took less than 10 minutes. On Friday, Sept. 23, once Dominion officials pushed the button, the smokestacks fell, as did Bremo Bluff Power Station’s Units 3 and 4. The demolition project rattled nearby properties and caused portions of the James River to be closed for a couple hours on Friday morning.

In 2019, Dominion Energy announced plans to retire the power station. That work’s been happening over the last two years, with physical demolition beginning in late 2021. To this point, the station’s main interior and most of the main building’s exterior have been removed.

It’s been a long time coming. Bremo Bluff has been one of, if not the oldest, coal-fired power station in Virginia. Its first two units went active in 1931 and lasted until 1972. But the whole thing was shuttered in 2018, making room for different types of power plants. Since then, the main focus has been breaking down the different pieces, clearing it out in a way that’s safe.