Cooling towers are in use at over 200 major electrical generating plants in the United States. Operation of these towers is vital to both nuclear and fossil-fired facilities. Improving reliability of these towers has been a major focus of the power generation industry for the last several years. Most large towers are constructed using a single or two-speed motor and right angle gearbox combination. Maintenance or failure of the right angle gearbox and associated components (drive shaft, couplings, etc.) has been problematic in these applications. This paper presents recent developments in motor technology that allow for the direct drive of cooling tower fans. Reduced maintenance and improved reliability can be achieved by using a slow speed, direct drive motor solution. A case study will be presented and the viability of this technology in large horsepower towers will be discussed.