When the Edwardsport power plant went on line in 1918, it was Indiana’s first big coal-fired plant, and its primary purpose was feeding the wires of the state’s new network of electric-powered interurban railroads.

Amazingly, the plant continued to be a major part of the portfolio of what eventually became Duke Energy for more than nine decades. This spring, the investor-owned utility finally shuttered the venerable station, and crews are now preparing for its demolition.

Nearby, Duke is developing the next generation of power production. The Edwardsport name will be associated with the $3 billion coal gasification facility that is expected to start generating 630 megawatts of electricity starting in late 2012. And the site of the former Edwardsport plant? It’s expected to become a storage area for slag and other byproducts of the new facility’s combustion process.