About Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) and Power Generation Sites
Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) had their roots in the 1700’s with the discovery that a process of heating coal would produce gas for illumination. Long before the introduction of electricity, streets, homes, and businesses used manufactured gas for lighting, which became known as gaslight. Manufactured gas plants (MGPs) produced gaslight. From each plant, a network of underground pipes brought the gas into local homes and businesses where it was used for lighting, cooking, and heating – the same purposes that natural gas is used for today.
MGPs in the US
The first manufactured gas plant in the United States opened in Baltimore in 1816. Several thousand MGPs operated in the United States between the early 1800’s and the 1970’s, when the last such plants closed. The plants shut down as natural gas from pipelines became available in their service areas.
The first manufactured gas plant in the United States opened in Baltimore in 1816. Several thousand MGPs operated in the United States between the early 1800’s and the 1970’s, when the last such plants closed. The plants shut down as natural gas from pipelines became available in their service areas.
