" POWER FROM PARADISE " 1964 TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY TVA COAL FIRED POWER PLANT KENTUCKY 19744

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This color educational film from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is about the construction of a coal burning plant in Paradise, KY. Known as the Paradise Fossil Plant, it operated from 1963 through 2017. The film was copyright in 1964.
Opening: Fire, water, they make steam. Title: Tennessee Valley Authority presents "Power From Paradise" (:08-:51). Power lines. A woman plus in a device. A cow is being milked, aerial factory shot. Aerial field. Western Kentucky, the Green River. Paradise, KY, men sit outside a mom & pop shoppe. A dam, water comes down the walls into a river. A barge on a river. Electric power station. Tractor. A forest. Factory aerial shot. Transformer on a pole (:52-2:59). Smoke stacks give off smoke at a factory. Map of TN, AL, GA, NC, VA, KY and MS. Transmission lines connect the stations on the map. Coal burning steam plants are shown on the map. Nighttime city shots. A coal field. Men at work on the field (3:00-4:50). Bulldozers mow down trees. A man uses a jackhammer. The ground is blown up. Men look at a map and point. Trucks move in. Bulldozers go across muddy dirt. Earth and rock are removed. Bulldozers assist. Coal is mined and moved by crane (4:51-6:25). Cars go down a dirt road. Men work on a pipe. Snow on the ground as men head to work. A building is built to house the offices. Men weld. Men cut steel and sheet metal (6:26-7:22). Concrete mixing plant. A truck pulls in, a man turns a knob in a control room. A crane set on a gantry. Men set concrete. Construction equipment pieces a building together. A building is being set up with steel girders (7:23-9:20). A railcar brings in some pieces. Steel girders are lifted by a crane. Men leave the worksite. Paradise, KY building. A man lays bricks. Giant chimneys. Men build the chimneys. A worker uses a communication device (9:21-11:31). Aerial shot over the high chimneys. Dirt is moved and scooped up. Inside a tunnel. A man climbs a ladder inside the construction. Dredging is done on a channel. A skimmer wall is built. Pre-cast concrete beams are laid (11:32-13:56). A truck backs up and dumps rock into the water. Inside of the construction. A boiler is being built. Workers use wrenches. Furnace walls are membrane constructed. Men pull pipes and sections (13:57-16:08). Workers climb a ladder. Boiler tubing. A man checks the boiler. Flash evaporators. Pressure system being worked on. Tubing for the steam lifted by a crane. Welders work in shifts round the clock. Steam lines must be insulated. Burners. Water comes out of a pipe. Men weld (16:09-18:58). A crane lifts steel. A low pressure stator is brought in on a railcar. Turbo generators. Low pressure rotor. Turbine blades (18:59-21:05). Men check alignment. Inside the turbine engine. Construction continues inside. Coal is brought by special trucks. Hoppers receive the coal. Coal goes down a conveyor belt. Coal is carried away for storage. Trucks move the coal. Standpipes will deal with the live piles of coal. Man in a control room (21:06-25:45). Coal goes up a conveyor belt. A man moves a steel sheet. Exterior of the plant. Main power transformers are set up (25:46-27:41). In case of fire, water spray is tested. Circuit breakers are also installed as a safety device. High voltage wires. Porcelain insulators are installed. Men work on the wires (27:42-29:21). Power lines. Inside the main control room. Men look at the wall. A worker sets up wiring. Plans are looked at. A worker sits and looks at the numbers and buttons. Control panel. A man looks at the control room. Exterior of the plant. High chimneys. Exterior of completed plant (29:22-31:54). End credits (31:55-32:03).
TVA’s Paradise Fossil Plant was located in western Kentucky on the Green River near the village of Paradise. The plant had three units and three large natural-draft cooling towers. Paradise was TVA’s only coal-fired plant with cooling towers, which are typically seen at nuclear plants. Units 1 and 2 went on-line in 1963 and at the time, they were the largest operating units in the world. A third unit became operational in 1970. Units 1 and 2 were retired in 2017, and Paradise Unit 3 in 2020, effectively closing the plant. TVA invested approximately $1 billion to build a gas-fired plant to replace Paradise; it opened in April of 2017.
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFi...

[@curtisdoss2469]

My dad worked during the construction phase of unit 3. He then went to work for TVA in the early 70's. He stayed there until 1986 when he retired. Say what you will about this place and others, they provided a living for many families through the years. Then it provide a very good retirement for him and my mom afterward.

[@rapman5363]

People just love to complain, they have no problem using the resources for human comforts but will immediately jump on the bandwagon of misery to demonize what they know nothing about.

[@curtisdoss2469]

@@rapman5363 I agree. I see people everyday complaining about dirty power. I bet they never stop and think about where the electricity for their EV cones from.

[@jacquesblaque7728]

When I heard the location of the plant, I was immediately reminded of John Prine's song "Paradise". Yup, same town, but his villain was Peabody for mining the coal. RIP, John.

[@curtisdoss2469]

Peabody was the villain. Not long after the last person left Paradise Peabody stripped mined the coal under the town. The Paradise power plant was built within seeing distance of the town.

[@clarkvalentine6528]

My grandfather ran a dragline at Paradise for many years and I would go sit in the cab with him as a child. Funny, I am visiting the family home this week and I took a detour with my sister and we visited the plant. They are taking it apart. There was plenty of black lung in the family and I'm sure the building of Paradise was fraught with issues but it did employ generations of people and paid well. I saw the smoke over the hill every morning I went to school. By the early 80's It was always black in the morning then white by around 9 or 10AM because they wouldn't turn on the scrubbers to remove the heavy metals and such until TVA spotter saw the EPA fly-through test airplane leave the airport. The scrubbers reduced the efficiency and thus profit of the plant. We had nice Christmases though.

[@moonlightfishin4113]

My da's side of the family were all from Paradise. As a child I visited there iften till they were all forced out in 1967. It was sad. They didnt want to leave. My uncle had built his house himself and he had to move.

[@Daledavispratt]

By 1967 the town of Paradise was gone. TVA rendered the area unsafe for habitation (coal ash fallout) and paid the people who lived there "fair market value" for their land and forced them to leave. I grew up in the area and have talked to some of the people who were displaced in this process.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks for the comment. Fascinating and tragic!

[@Daledavispratt]

@@PeriscopeFilm As are most stories that involve the TVA, unfortunately.

[@danpatterson8009]

TVA appropriated some of my great uncle's farmland for the project. He never forgave them.

[@moonlightfishin4113]

My dad and grand parents were from Paradise, Ky. I visted there many times till they were forced out in 1967.

[@coreymoore1979]

The government couldn’t wait to force people out and now have forced people out of jobs too. Why stop at ruining a small town when you ruin a whole county. This is the very reason why the government should be replaced

[@milesj6064]

Thanks for providing this look into how coal powerplants were made back in the day, it is fascinating to see how things were done in the past

[@PeriscopeFilm]

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[@scottgoodwin3493]

Im still making them... 2021

[@emrahtestere5372]

This coal plant is a very good application of thermodynamics. Turbines,pumps, condenser,and boiler , what a magnificent representation of human ingenuity.

[@Daledavispratt]

It is also a good application of power by the government, no matter what anyone thinks it was a huge and devastating invasion to the people who had called this area home for many generations.

[@jamesrhiner9913]

My Father worked at Paradise in 1963. I worked there in in 1985. Both Boilermakers out of Local 27 in St. Louis.

[@steveevans4093]

Paradise, KY. Remembered in song by the late and great John Prine. Thank you Mr. Prine, rest in peace.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Yeah, dear Mr. Peabody!

[@roblarson5302]

I love that song.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@roblarson5302 And it's true is the best part even if it's a sad ending for that country.

[@KimiWallrus]

Check out, "the other favorites " cover of that song.

[@crashercarlton]

Thanks this is sweet! Pretty close to me and I've been by the facility. Seeing that it has closed permanently and its on my radar for an urbex explore its almost like i already have an inside look!!!

[@Kalexjones]

There won't be any looking inside. It's still manned guarded and being demolished.

[@65gtotrips]

There’s a lot of complaints in these comments about the plant, but those who complain don’t thank TVA for the electricity provided to them. - I’m curious if the complainers turned down a nuclear plant in exchange for Paradise ? - We all need electricity and green energy isn’t the answer, maybe to supplement somewhat but it’s not ever going to be the primary source.

[@simplytrolling6869]

“Papa got a job with the TVA… he bougt a washing machine then a chev ro let”

[@schmitty139]

..Huntsville, Alabama ❤ Tennessee valley

[@davebrock6618]

working at one of about the same age and love it....

[@u.s.militia7682]

A man in my Paducah Kentucky National Guard unit was a diver for the Army Corps of Engineers. He was working on the Kentucky Lake Dam power generators and somehow became sucked into one and was chopped into bits. I have no idea why he’d even be in the water while they were generating. It made no sense.

[@unbrokenandalive1089]

The safety standard of disengaging and physically locking out all hazardous energy sources during maintenance procedures, or lockout/tagout - wasn’t formally put on the federal books until September 1, 1989. Though it’s certainly a fact that the concept of “turning it off” was understood and generally implemented DECADES BEFORE - accidents DID occur.

[@u.s.militia7682]

Unbroken Andalive if I remember right I think this happened in 89 or 90.

[@mikevetter271]

@@u.s.militia7682 are you sure it was at paradise because the same thing happened at new johnsonville when a diver was in the tunnel for inspection and cleanout

[@65gtotrips]

That is or was a huge coal fired plant if it can produce half the needs of a city equivalent to New York City. - I wonder if it was ever switched to natural gas ?

[@mikevetter271]

it has gas turbines now

[@Javaman92]

I lived close to where Paradise once was. It's a shame what happened there.

[@u.s.militia7682]

I was born not far from there in Caldwell County. All my uncles worked for Peabody Coal Co. I learned how to waterski on the Green River.

[@andyhill242]

Ecological vandalism aside, a very interesting video.

[@carnevil5740]

Omg I just found a picture of my Grandfather in 1964! At Oak Ridge Under the "U" in Nuclear 😳

[@u.s.militia7682]

I was born and raised in W. Ky. Now the coal has to be shipped by river barge to these power plants. I worked for years as a deckhand for AEP. TVA raped the whole area. Now they’re raping other areas to keep it all going. They’ve created pollution to no end and they’re not done yet. Now I live in SW Virginia where they’re running out of coal and are resulting to fracking. The once bustling towns here are a near memory.

[@publicmail2]

I thought it was just a prop on the end of a generator thrown into the river.

[@bubbagump9955]

What is up with the clip from 16:36 to 16:39 ?

[@ElmerCat]

It seemed like a good idea at the time - what could possibly go wrong?

[@BipTunia_Microtonal_Cats]

Back when Americans learned trades instead of majoring in feelings.

[@bottwaandcalover]

Amen.

[@unassistedsuicide2243]

But you aren’t butthurt & boo-boo lipped that the Orange Aneurysm was voted out of office, right tough guy?

[@65gtotrips]

Here, here ! Amen 🙏

[@Oliverdobbins]

“...and with enormous chimneys to make sure the ash and waste gases are thoroughly dispersed in the atmosphere.” Ewwwww! 😷 Heck of a civil engineering project though.

[@Cracktaculus]

PROGRESS!! Life's a bitch and then your home disappeared!

[@buddyg1408]

61%waste

[@LinasVepstas]

Yeah, basic laws of physics (thermodynamics) say that you're not going to do much better than that (for steam and coal, or for any kind of heat engine). If you look at what they built, it's not like they were sloppy engineers, wastefully cutting corners. The thing was clearly a masterpiece. If there's something to lament, then its the other things, unmentioned: pollution from fly ash. ("dispersed in the atmosphere") The acid rain. Things they didn't know: global warming.

[@operatorjeffdeathstar7759]

Why can't Americans pronounce TURBINE? It's not a rag wrapped around the head...

[@andyhill242]

If only they had known the damage they were doing to the environment.

[@jerrygmarchantmarchant141]

Evolution look where we are now did you always get it right the first time

[@u.s.militia7682]

They knew. A lot was covered up, literally. I grew up near here. I remember the water in the early 1970’s and the red to orange tinge floating on top of it. We used to skip rocks on it and make cool designs on it. We didn’t even know it was polluted. Swam in it and ate fish out of it for years. Everyone on moms side of the family has cancer except for her and that’s because she moved from that area in the 60’s.

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

Pleasing architecture LOL