Star Tallahassee logo - link to main homepage

Sign In

 

  • Residents
    • Change for Change
    • DigiTally
    • Ethics Board
    • Fire
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Parks and Trails
    • Pet Adoption
    • Police
    • Public Safety
    • Public Transportation
    • Traffic
    • Title VI
    • Utilities
  • Business
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Job Openings
    • Online Permitting
    • City Owned Real Estate
    • Vendor Information
    • Procurement
    • Economic Vitality
    • Employee Login
  • Visitors
    • Airport
    • Arts & Culture (COCA)
    • Events
    • Fire
    • Parks and Activities
    • Police
    • Senior Center
    • Visit Tallahassee
  • Our City
    • 2023 Budget
    • Charters/Ordinances
    • Citizen Advisory Boards
    • City Attorney
    • Inspector General
    • City Leadership
    • City Treasurer-Clerk
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Current Projects
    • OpenGov
    • Retirement
    • Tallahassee Brand Library
    • WCOT City Television
    • Ethics Board
    • Strategic Plan
  • Services
    • Airport
    • Animal Services
    • Community Redevelopment
    • City Leadership
    • Current Projects
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Employment
    • Environmental Practices
    • Financial Transparency
    • Fire
    • Growth Management
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Police
    • Procurement
    • Public Safety
    • Public Transportation
    • Senior Services
    • Real Estate Management
    • Report a Problem
    • Utilities
    • Traffic
    • WCOT City Television
    • PLACE
      Planning, Blueprint, Minority Business, Economic Vitality
    • Other Agencies
  • Residents
    • ADA/Non-Discrimination/Title VI
    • Change for Change
    • DigiTally
    • Ethics Board
    • Fire
    • Meeting Calendar
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • OpenGov
    • Parking
    • Parks and Trails
    • Pet Adoption
    • Police
    • Public Transportation
    • Traffic
    • Utilities
  • Business
    • City Owned Real Estate
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Employee Login
    • Job Openings
    • Online Permitting
    • Procurement
    • Starting a Business in Tallahassee
    • Vendor Information
    • Volunteer
  • Visitors
    • Airport
    • Arts & Culture (COCA)
    • Events
    • Fire
    • Parking
    • Parks and Activities
    • Police
    • Senior Center
    • Visit Tallahassee
  • Our City
    • 2024 Budget
    • Charters/Ordinances
    • Citizen Advisory Boards
    • City Attorney
    • City Leadership
    • City Treasurer-Clerk
    • Community Redevelopment
    • Current Projects
    • Ethics Board
    • Inspector General
    • OpenGov
    • Procurement
    • Retirement
    • Strategic Plan
    • Tallahassee Brand Library
    • Fleet
  • Services
    • Airport
    • Animal Services
    • Community Redevelopment
    • City Leadership
    • Current Projects
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Employment
    • Environmental Practices
    • Financial Transparency
    • Fire
    • Growth Management
    • Neighborhood Services
    • Newsroom
    • Parks & Recreation
    • PLACE
      Planning, Blueprint, Minority Business, Economic Vitality
    • Police
    • Procurement
    • Public Transportation
    • Senior Services
    • Real Estate Management
    • Report a Problem
    • Retirement
    • Utilities
    • Traffic
City of Tallahassee
  • Utilities Home
  • Your Account
  • Electric
  • Water
  • Natural Gas
  • Waste Management
  • Waste Management Pickup Schedule
COT Facebook COT Twitter Instagram WCOT YouTube

Sam O. Purdom Generating Station

Sam O. Purdom Power Generating Station
  • Year built - 1952
  • Primary fuel used - Natural gas
  • Power capacity - 242 MW (megawatts)
  • Located - 20 miles south of Tallahassee

Two of the plant's three boilers and steam turbines were retired and a "combined- cycle" system was constructed that uses state-of-the-art technology to generate power at a rate 30% more efficient than older generating systems.

Traditional power plants burn fuel to heat water into steam, which is then used to spin a turbine connected to a power generator. Purdom Unit 8 uses a system called Combined Cycle Technology, which effectively uses the energy from the burned fuel twice.

The plant is located on 63 acres of land adjacent to the Saint Marks River in Wakulla County. Considered a medium-sized power generating facility, the Purdom Plant is capable of generating up to 301 megawatts of power when local electricity demand requires it. The plant operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year under the constant supervision of an expert team of engineers and operators who monitor the plant's efficiency and environmental characteristics.

The plant's combined-cycle Unit 8 uses the same amount of fuel to power two generators instead of only one. Cooling towers remove heat from the plant's cooling water and vent it into the air as steam.

Protection of North Florida's beautiful environment is a prime concern of the City of Tallahassee Utilities and the employees of the Purdom Power Plant. The plant's primary fuel source – natural gas – is the cleanest-burning available fossil fuel, so emissions from the plant's stacks are well below all federal and state clean air standards. An important feature of the plant's advanced Combined Cycle generating system is a component known as "Zero-Discharge Technology." This technology allows the Purdom facility to reduce its dependence on river water through recycling treated effluent from the City of St. Marks wastewater treatment plant and a local industrial facility.

In addition, it eliminates the discharge of any water from Unit 8. Special technology is used to clean and reuse the water, so there is no liquid discharge into the St, Marks River. Though the plant would be in full compliance with all environmental regulations even without zero-discharge technology, it was installed to assure the lowest possible impact on the surrounding environment.

Please call 850-891-4968 for more information.

Star Tallahassee logo - link to main homepage
  • Contact Info
  • City of Tallahassee Utilities
  • 435 N. Macomb St.
  • Tallahassee FL 32301
  • 850-891-4968
  • Maps and Directions
  • Contact Us
  • City Commission
  • John E. Dailey, Mayor
  • Jeremy Matlow
  • Jacqueline "Jack" Porter
  • Curtis Richardson
  • Dianne Williams-Cox
  • City Officials
  • Reese Goad
    City Manager
  • Amy M. Toman
    City Attorney
  • Dennis R. Sutton
    Inspector General
  • Jim Cooke
    City Treasurer-Clerk
  • City Services
  • Utility Accounts
  • Parking Tickets
  • Report a Problem
  • TPD Online Reporting
  • Accessibility
  • Email Subscriptions
  • ADA/Non-Discrimination
  • Online Kennel
  • Driver Info Service
  • Athletics Registration
  • Public Records
  • WCOT Online
  • Talgov.com
  • Directory/Site Map
  • Talgov Apps
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Feedback
  • Employee Login
  • Translate This Site
  • City of Tallahassee Utilities
  • 435 N. Macomb St.
  • Tallahassee FL 32301
  • 850-891-4968
  • Maps and Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Directory/Site Map
  • Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Translate This Site
Loading... Loading...
highlight