In September of 2025, my work is generating the most income it ever has in my career. Yet, I'm being forced to shut down my successul operation, against my will, due to one cause alone: 95% of that revenue is being stolen by piracy and copyright infringement. I've lost more than $1 million to copyright infringement in the last 15 years, and it's finally brought an end to my professional storm chasing operation. Do not be misled by the lies of infringers, anti-copyright activists and organized piracy cartels. This page is a detailed, evidenced account of my battle I had to undertake to just barely stay in business, and eventually could not overcome. It's a problem faced by all of my colleagues and most other creators in the field.
The Prairie State power plant is a new coal-fired generator station going in near the town of Marissa, IL, about 15 miles south of where I live in New Baden. I have seen this in the distance since I moved here, but never got around to looking up information on it until now. Here is the view of it from the County Line Road bridge over I-64 in New Baden:
The smokestack is 700 feet high, which is solidly in the range for upward lightning initiation. I've been missing this thing getting hit all spring and summer and never realizing it. There are no tall towers on the Illinois side of the St. Louis metro (there are at least 8 of them on the Missouri side). It will be nice to just drop a few miles south and have an upward lightning option to add to the chase 'tool kit'. Now we just need some storms again - it's been a while.
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From Dan: Please Read
To my regular readers, I offer my apologies for this heavy-handed notice. Unfortunately it has become necessary, so please bear with me!
Please don't copy/upload this site's content to social media or other web sites. Those copies have been a critical problem for me, seriously harming this site and my photography/storm chasing operation by diverting traffic, viewers, engagement and income. "Credit" and "exposure" does not benefit this site or my operation, rather they threaten my ability to cover my operating expenses. Please read my full explanation for this notice here.
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