Power Plant Implosion: Video Shows Power Plant Demolition in Port Everglades, Florida (VIDEO, PHOTO)
A power plant implosion in Florida has seen the demise of the iconic red and white smoke stacks in Port Everglades.
The power plant, which was built in the 1960s, was destroyed with dynamite by the Florida Power & Light Co. on Tuesday.
The implosion required 450 pounds of explosives for each 350-feet-tall stack.
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The four smoke stacks, which released sulfur dioxide, have been removed to make way for cleaner energy.
The new power plant is expected to use 35 percent less fuel and produce more electricity, according to CBS Miami.
The change will be more cost efficient and environmentally friendly and is expected to save over $400 million over the next 30 years. The considerable savings will be passed on to consumers, officials have claimed.
The electricity from the plant is expected to power over 260,000 homes and businesses.
The new plant will not only produce cleaner energy by running on natural gas, but will provide over 600 jobs. The new plant will be completed by 2016 and the costs are expected to rise over $1.2 billion.
Greg Brostowicz, a spokesman for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, told National Geographic that the new plant will cut both carbon dioxide and total emissions by 90 percent compared to the old plant, which has been criticized for years as a major pollution source.
He said, "When we did the analysis, it seemed to make more sense to tear down the old plant and build a new one than it did to modernize."
The implosion of the 50 year old power plants, which took place at 6:45 a.m. today, have changed the landscape in Port Everglades.
The demolition was shown via live stream on Florida Power & Light's website.
Here is a video showing footage of the power plant implosion:
