cleve callison’s blog

Gaffney cooling tower -- NYTimes

U.S. 29 Journal: More on Gaffney.

All right, my home town is famous for more than just the world’s largest water tower in the shape of a peach. It’s also the home of the world’s largest nuclear cooling tower that housed a major motion picture. Started but never finished in the 1970’s by Duke Energy (then Duke Power), the abandoned cooling tower became the set for underwater scenes in James Cameron’s The Abyss starring the estimable Ms. Mastrantonio, in 1989. (Wouldn’t it have been great if James Cameron had cast Andie McDowell in the part? She’s from Gaffney! Grew up around the corner from me!)

In recent years the growth of interest in nuclear power has led Duke to reopen the idea — of building the plant, that is, not remaking The Abyss — though not without some opposition.