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 been generating 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 the plant was made in 2013.

Houston-based plant owner Dynegy says it has worked to help 170 workers find other jobs. A smaller crew is staying on for the decommissioning process in June and July.

Somerset's town administrator says the power plant is the town's largest taxpayer at about $4.25 million annually. State funding is helping to offset the lost revenue.