Possum Point is a small

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

in Northern Virginia that juts out into

Quantico Creek Quantico Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August 15, 2011 partially tidal tributary of the Potomac River in eastern Prince William County, Virginia. Quantico ...

and separates it from the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

. It lies in a suburban area of

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Dominion Virginia Power Dominion Energy, Inc., commonly referred to as Dominion, is an American energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of Ut ...

operates a power plant on the point. The area is rich in

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

History, and a nearby peak, Possum Nose, was the site of a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

fort.

Possum Point Power Station

Possum Point Power Station is a power plant owned by

(A division of

Dominion Resources Dominion Energy, Inc., commonly referred to as Dominion, is an American energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of Ut ...

). The plant supplies some of the electricity for the Northern Virginia suburbs of

It burns natural gas and oil, however it used to burn coal, and was converted in 2003. Unit 6, a

combined cycle A combined cycle power plant is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem from the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy. On land, when used to make electricity the most common type is called a combined cycle gas turb ...

unit, was also installed in 2003. Unit 5 was scheduled for retirement by June 1, 2021. Units 3 & 4, previously converted from coal to natural gas, have been identified for retirement in a move away from steam generation.

Generating Units

{, class="wikitable" , - ! Unit Number ! Fuel ! Notes , - , 1 ,

Coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

, Retired , - , 2 ,

, Retired , - , 3 ,

Natural Gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

, Converted From Coal 2003 , - , 4 ,

, Converted From Coal 2003 , - , 5 ,

Oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

, Uses #6 Low Sulfur Oil , - , 6 ,

and

, Combined Cycle unit, New in 2003

Civil War History

Possum Nose was the site of one of many forts that were built along the Potomac River during the

. It was named Cockpit Point Battery. "The Confederates effectively closed the Potomac to imports into

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

" Sale May Save Civil War Fort From Obscurity
by Nikita Stewart, ''The Washington Post''. It lies halfway between Freestone Point Battery in

Leesylvania State Park Leesylvania State Park is located in the southeastern part of Prince William County, Virginia, Prince William County, Virginia. The land was donated in 1978 by businessman Daniel K. Ludwig, and the park was dedicated in 1985 and opened full-time ...

and

Quantico, Virginia Quantico (; formerly Potomac) is a town in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., bound ...

.Virginia Forts
/ref>

References

Peninsulas of Virginia Landforms of Prince William County, Virginia