SOMERSET, Mass. – New England’s largest – and one of its last – coal-fired power plants is shutting down permanently.

The owner of the Brayton Point Power Station says it will cease operating Wednesday.

The plant has generated electricity since the 1960s along Mount Hope Bay in Somerset, Massachusetts, near the Rhode Island border. It’s been cited by federal regulators as one of the region’s heaviest polluters.

A decision to close it was made in 2013.

Houston-based plant owner Dynegy says it’s worked to help 170 workers find other jobs. A smaller crew is staying on for the decommissioning process.

New England’s electric grid operator says the low price of natural gas has led coal plants to retire. Smaller coal plants still operate in New Hampshire and Connecticut. Connecticut’s is expected to close by 2021.