Dave Johnston Power Plant
This man-made Wonder was built by the Pacific Power and Light Company in 1967, constructed along the North Platte River about six miles east of Glenrock, Wyoming. And what a remarkable “workhorse” it has been ever since. The Dave Johnston Power Plant is the largest of its kind in the entire Rocky Mountain region, turning steam and coal into electricity at a rate of more than 800,000 kilowatts a day to the Pacific Northwest. This massive operation has at its disposal its own private railroad that transports the coal from the Glenrock strip mine 16 miles to the north.
The Dave Johnston Power Plant, named for a retired PP & L company exective, is so big that during the nighttime hours, when it’s all lit up, can be seen from as far away as 100 miles. Pilots flying at night over Converse County use the Dave Johnston Power Plant as a landmark. But it’s the magic trick of turning steam and coal into electricity, and then sending it out by wire, that is still the main concern of the big—time producer at the Dave Johnston Power Plant.