East Orange power plant generates thunderous noise

Potentially hundreds of homes in east Orange County were jolted early Thursday by a loud noise from steam released by a malfunctioning power plant at the city of Orlando’s Stanton Energy Center.

Hundreds of homes at the south end of the Avalon Park community are within a mile of the Stanton Energy Center. Also nearby is the Avalon Middle School.

“It sounded like what I imagine it would be like to stand right behind a jet plane as it takes off,” said Avalon Park resident Mary Bridgman.

She said the roar began at 3:50 a.m. and persisted without interruption or varying until nearly 4:10 a.m.

“I assumed it had something to do with them flushing something,” Bridgman said.

The malfunctioning power plant has multiple owners, including Orlando Utilities Commission and Kissimmee Utility Authority. But the plant’s majority owner and operator is Southern Power, which is a subsidiary of utility giant Southern Company.

The plant runs on natural gas and began to generate electricity in 2003.

Southern Company spokesman Schuyler Baehman confirmed that a shutdown occurred along with a release of steam.

Schuyler said there were no injuries or safety concerns reported at the plant or nearby and that the incident did not require notification of emergency responders. He added that the plant was turned off as a “safety precaution” and was restarted later Thursday morning.

Labelled “Unit A,” the plant’s output of 660 megawatts is greater than either of the more visible plants owned by OUC, a pair of generators that run on coal and have soaring chimneys and cooling towers.

The power plant noise may have been limited to the southern end of Avalon Park; its property-owners association had not heard reports of a noise.