Pittsburg Power Plant, California

Around the bend from Port Chicago, Suisun Bay begins its industrial stretch, starting with what was once the largest power plant on the Bay, the Pittsburg Power Plant, a 1,370 megawatt natural gas-fired plant, built in 1954, and expanded in the 1970's with the addition of the 700 megawatt Unit 7. Currently only Units 5, 6, and 7 are operational, Units 1 - 4 having been retired from service. The plant is now owned by Mirant, a new energy company, formed by the Southern Company of Atlanta in 2001. Southern is one of the largest power companies in the nation and is the parent company of several regional suppliers in the south. Mirant was created to manage plants acquired in the west and beyond. The plant is surrounded by fuel oil tanks. A heavy, crude-like oil was delivered by ship to the plant, and stored in tanks as a back up fuel source to natural gas. This tank farm is connected via a pipeline to the power plant at Antioch and to Chevron's refinery in Richmond.