The Crawford Power Plant is located at 3501 S. Pulaski Avenue near the Sanitary and Ship Canal.  It was built in 1924.  The architects were  Graham, Anderson, Probst, and White.  The architectural style is described as  Industrial Gothic.   It uses red brick and stonework masonry.  It stands on a 72 acre site.  There was storage for 300,000 tons of coal.

Operation started in 1925.  It was the largest of five power plants servicing the Chicago area.  It produced 750,000 kilowatts.   The plant was acquired by  Midwest Generation in 1999.

Plant  reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 39% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 48 % in 2001 by using lower sulfur coal and new technologies.  Mercury emissions were reduced by 90% by  new technologies.

Controls to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 70%  were installed in 2011.

However all of these updates were not enough.  Midwest Generation determined that required retrofits needed to meet federal air standards were not economically feasible. The plant was closed in 2012.