A shuttered TVA coal plant in northeast Alabama crashed to the ground amid a plume of smoke Friday morning.

TVA, in the process of tearing down Widows Creek Fossil Plant in Jackson County in Bridgeport near the Tennessee state line, imploded the two 500-foot smokestacks as well as two boilers.

TVA said that it used small explosive charges in the demolition so the debris is in manageable sizes and can be recycled. The public utility is preparing the site along the Tennessee River for economic development.

The Google data center in Jackson County is located on the grounds of the plant.

3-2-1 boom! The 500-foot stacks and boilers at the retired Widows Creek Fossil Plant near Stevenson, Ala., come crashing down as we make room for the future. We salute the dedicated employees who staffed the plant over the past 60 years. Learn more https://t.co/uQzEML1S6y pic.twitter.com/7kslEpXI7N — Tennessee Valley Authority (@TVAnews) September 27, 2019

“For over 60 years this facility and the dedicated employees who staffed it supplied electricity to power our homes and build our region’s economy,” said Bob Deacy, TVA’s senior vice president General Projects & Fleet Services, in TVA's announcement on the demolition. “Today, the site is home to a large data center and this demolition is an investment in the future, making room for further development opportunities.”

The plant began generating electricity in 1952 and produced enough power for more than 1 million homes, according to TVA. The utility shut down the plant in 2015.

TVA said that to reduce its carbon footprint, it has closed five fossil plants over the past seven years and plans to close two more by the end of 2030. TVA said 60 percent of its electricity is generated is carbon-free.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant near Athens in Limestone County recently completed upgrades that increased its generating capacity.