I’m not looking for locations, just wondering how long after a power plant is retires do you wait before you try and go explore? Also is there any signs that I shouldn’t even attempt a curtain power plant?

Explore it. Now. If your attempt fails keep trying. What would you be waiting for? It should be pretty obvious if they are doing demolish or other work and if that point its just whether or not you want to see the inside and if its safe to do so.

Posted by Sebk I’m not looking for locations, just wondering how long after a power plant is retires do you wait before you try and go explore? Also is there any signs that I shouldn’t even attempt a curtain power plant?

Each one is different, I know people who've explored plants the night they were shut down. They are inherently the riskiest sort of exploration and carry a heavy penalty if caught in one that isn't what you'd call 'fully decommissioned'.

Posted by mookster Each one is different, I know people who've explored plants the night they were shut down. They are inherently the riskiest sort of exploration and carry a heavy penalty if caught in one that isn't what you'd call 'fully decommissioned'.

Amen to that. Here in Wisconsin the law states:

whoever intentionally enters certain property of an energy provider without lawful authority and without the energy provider’s consent is guilty of a Class H felony if: (1) the property is owned, leased, or operated by an energy provider; and (2) the property is part of an electric generation, distribution, or transmission system or is part of a natural gas distribution system.

So basically if you're caught there and it's not some blown out shell you're in deep legal trouble. Power plants can be done soon after decommissioning but bear in mind that they are likely to have security guards of some kind. That doesn't make it impossible of course, just highly risky and the sort of thing you would want to work your way up to.

Ive been run off by security people at power plants many years after they went offline. They were still intact and fueled up.

At one they had a night watchman living in there 24-7 and it had not produced a single kilowatt for over 25 years.

Others like the obsolete one in Ft Worth that had been dismantled was left wide open for every teenager, vandal and tagger in the city, and no body cared.

Each location requires its own thorough evaluation you wont find a stock answer on social media / UER.

Ever try scouting one? In person?

Posted by Aran Amen to that. Here in Wisconsin the law states: So basically if you're caught there and it's not some blown out shell you're in deep legal trouble. Power plants can be done soon after decommissioning but bear in mind that they are likely to have security guards of some kind. That doesn't make it impossible of course, just highly risky and the sort of thing you would want to work your way up to.

In the UK they are designated a utility, so trespassing on their grounds is one of the few occasions when it becomes criminal. In France, the main energy company EDF takes a very very poor view on people caught on their sites and has been known to actively prosecute explorers careless enough to get caught.

Posted by Explorer Zero Ive been run off by security people at power plants many years after they went offline. They were still intact and fueled up. At one they had a night watchman living in there 24-7 and it had not produced a single kilowatt for over 25 years. Others like the obsolete one in Ft Worth that had been dismantled was left wide open for every teenager, vandal and tagger in the city, and no body cared. Each location requires its own thorough evaluation you wont find a stock answer on social media / UER. Ever try scouting one? In person?

I totally get why they have watchmen living on site as power stations would be the payday of a lifetime for scrappers!

Over here in the UK power stations never get left to decay too much, as bar a couple of exceptions tucked away on larger industrial sites they are usually decommissioned, stripped and demolished almost immediately and are never what you'd call 'quiet', hence the only real option here is to do them at night to avoid workers.

All plants are different. You'll have to judge it yourself and by what you're comfortable with. One could be shutdown a week prior and is a complete ghost town, while another could've been shut for a decade with active security. Just go for it tbh!

You won’t know unless you, or someone you know has scouted it prior. It’s constantly changing too so two week old info could be outdated.

Posted by Aran Amen to that. Here in Wisconsin the law states: So basically if you're caught there and it's not some blown out shell you're in deep legal trouble. Power plants can be done soon after decommissioning but bear in mind that they are likely to have security guards of some kind. That doesn't make it impossible of course, just highly risky and the sort of thing you would want to work your way up to.

I know Michigan also has a similar law that basically states if it’s maintained by the power company it’s a felony. It’s unfortunate.

Posted by Explorer Zero Ive been run off by security people at power plants many years after they went offline. They were still intact and fueled up. At one they had a night watchman living in there 24-7 and it had not produced a single kilowatt for over 25 years. Others like the obsolete one in Ft Worth that had been dismantled was left wide open for every teenager, vandal and tagger in the city, and no body cared. Each location requires its own thorough evaluation you wont find a stock answer on social media / UER. Ever try scouting one? In person? I mean I don’t just wander in blindly if thats what your getting at. I’ve been to a few power plants so far but would like to do more. I think I’m gonna try and target the older ones. I’ve got a bunch of them that where shut down recently and a majority of them have too many cars for comfort. What I’m trying to figure out if there’s anything thats universally a sign things won’t go as planned. The plants that have no security on site I seem to do fine. Yet regardless of how carful I think I am I get spotted by a camera it something. Oddly enough I don’t have any issues dodging security at steel mills.

Posted by jakson106 All plants are different. You'll have to judge it yourself and by what you're comfortable with. One could be shutdown a week prior and is a complete ghost town, while another could've been shut for a decade with active security. Just go for it tbh!

Your completely right. Some power companies seem to care way more than others.

Posted by Sebk I mean I don’t just wander in blindly if thats what your getting at. I’ve been to a few power plants so far but would like to do more. I think I’m gonna try and target the older ones. I’ve got a bunch of them that where shut down recently and a majority of them have too many cars for comfort. What I’m trying to figure out if there’s anything thats universally a sign things won’t go as planned. The plants that have no security on site I seem to do fine. Yet regardless of how carful I think I am I get spotted by a camera it something. Oddly enough I don’t have any issues dodging security at steel mills.

Well you got a lot to learn I asked if you ever scouted it I never suggested going in blindly

scouting means,

oh never mind ...

I have a shutdown power plant maybe 60 miles away from my home.

It's been offline for over a decade and is still staffed 24x7.

I do check it periodically.

Posted by Radio2600 I have a shutdown power plant maybe 60 miles away from my home. It's been offline for over a decade and is still staffed 24x7. I do check it periodically.

Wonder what they could possibly be doing besides decommissioning work. The 5 power power plants I’ve been to 4 of them had active switch yards on the property with at least one car.

Posted by Sebk Wonder what they could possibly be doing besides decommissioning work. The 5 power power plants I’ve been to 4 of them had active switch yards on the property with at least one car.

It's possible that it was mothballed and though it's decommissioned, it's kept operational just in case it's needed. Power plants are the kind of critical infrastructure where I could absolutely see redundant plants kept around just in case a large scale emergency knocks out the main plant, as a matter of national security. For the government the cost of paying a company to keep a decommissioned plant around just in case is surely tiny compared to the government's budget.

That's all just speculation on my part, mind you.

Posted by Sebk Wonder what they could possibly be doing besides decommissioning work. The 5 power power plants I’ve been to 4 of them had active switch yards on the property with at least one car.

In quite a lot of power plants the control rooms are still kept staffed long after the plant itself has shut down, especially if there are still active electrical stations outside, or other active/staffed buildings on site.

Some plants control rooms also contain systems that monitor other plants on the network and power output which may still be active.