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Wisconsin PSC Backs Construction of Gas-Fired Plant

January 18, 2020

The post Wisconsin PSC Backs Construction of Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Construction of a $ 700 million natural gas-fired power plant near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border was authorized by Wisconsin regulators on Jan. 16, over the objections of environmental groups who have said the plant is not needed.

Dairyland Power Cooperative and Minnesota Power would jointly own the 625-MW Nemadji Trail Energy Center, which on its current timeline is scheduled to come online in 2024. Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 2-1 on Thursday to allow the project to move forward. The utilities have said the plant would enable them to move away from coal-fired power and support their integration of wind and solar generation resources.

Several environmental groups oppose the plant, including the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also opposes the plant, citing local impacts such as loss of wetlands and depletion of groundwater.…

Minnesota Court Blocks Construction of Gas-Fired Plant

December 24, 2019

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The post Minnesota Court Blocks Construction of Gas-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A Minnesota court on Dec. 23 said a proposed natural gas-fired power plant in neighboring Wisconsin needs more environmental review before construction can proceed, reversing an earlier decision by the state’s Public Utilities Commission that approved the facility.

The state Court of Appeals on Monday said state regulators must look at whether the Nemadji Trail Energy Center in Superior, Wisconsin, which was approved by the PUC in October 2018 and would have a generation capacity of 525 to 625 MW, would have “significant environmental effects” on the surrounding area. The court’s ruling means the PUC must conduct another review of the plant.

Minnesota Power, a utility division of Midwestern energy company ALLETE and headquartered in Duluth, and La Crosse, Wisconsin-based Dairyland Power Cooperative want to build the proposed $ 700 million Nemadji Trail plant on land between the Nemadjij River and Enbridge Energy’s Superior terminal, near Lake Superior at the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin.…

Rhode Island Rejects Burrillville Gas-Fired Plant

June 25, 2019

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A proposed 900-MW gas-fired power plant was rejected by Rhode Island regulators on June 20, leaving project developer Invenergy pondering its options for the planned facility in Burrillville.

Rhode Island’s Energy Facility Siting Board, after a daylong hearing in Warwick, said the plant is not needed. Chicago, Illinois–based Invenergy can appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court. The company has 10 days from the date the siting board finalizes its order to decide whether to appeal the decision.

“We will review the written decision and evaluate our options,” Invenergy spokeswoman Beth Conley said in a statement.

The Burrillville plant, known as the Clear River Energy Center, was first proposed four years ago, before falling power prices in the region and across New England brought questions about the economic viability of new power generation projects. Invenergy originally planned to bring the plant online this year; that date had been moved to 2023 pending state approval. A lower court in Rhode Island in April upheld a water agreement Invenergy had with the city of Johnston.…

New Gas-Fired Plants Come Online in Michigan

April 3, 2019

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Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. (UMERC) placed two new natural gas-fired generating stations into commercial operation on March 31, part of the company’s plan to reshape its generation fleet as it seeks to “balance reliability and customer cost with environmental stewardship.”

UMERC, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group, also retired the coal-fired 430-MW Presque Isle Power Plant on Sunday. The company in a news release said, “Plans for the future use of the retired coal plant site will be developed as the company continues to evaluate potential uses for the property.”

“The new generating stations are good for our customers, good for business and good for electric reliability throughout the U.P.,” said Kevin Fletcher, president and CEO of WEC Energy Group, in a news release. “Closure of the Presque Isle Power Plant also helps achieve our goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent, well ahead of our 2030 target.”

The new F.D. Kuester Generating Station, in Negaunee Township near Marquette, and the A.J.…

Tenaska Gas-Fired Plant Comes Online in Pennsylvania

January 2, 2019

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The Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station began commercial operation on Dec. 21, the latest natural gas-fired facility to enter the PJM market.

The 940-MW Tenaska plant, located near Smithton in South Huntingdon Township in Westmoreland County in southwest Pennsylvania, was built in just more than two years, though its planning and permitting process took several years due to opposition from local residents.

The plant is part of a move toward more gas-fired power in PJM, the largest competitive wholesale U.S. power market. PJM serves customers in 13 states in the eastern U.S., and the District of Columbia.

Gas-fired power surpassed coal-fired generation as the fuel of choice in PJM in 2015, as the price of natural gas dropped below the cost of coal across the region. According to a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “The monthly average cost of Central Appalachian coal in the PJM region averaged $ 2.76 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) in 2013 and has only slightly increased since then, most recently averaging 3.30/MMBtu in 2017.”…

Xcel Buys Minnesota Gas-Fired Plant

November 8, 2018

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Xcel Energy said it will buy a natural gas-fired power plant in Minnesota from Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Co. The $ 650 million deal for the Mankato Energy Center puts Xcel in charge of a facility from which it has purchased power since the plant’s first unit came online in 2006.

A second unit at the plant is expected to come online in 2019, bringing the facility’s total power generation capacity to 760 MW. That would make it the largest gas-fired plant in Xcel’s fleet. The plant was built by Calpine Corp. and sold to Southern Power in 2016 in a $ 395.5 million deal.

“Securing the Mankato gas plant is a great value for our customers as it will provide significant cost savings and operating flexibility for the long term,” said Chris Clark, Xcel’s regional president, in a statement November 6. “As we continue to transition to cleaner energy sources and reduce reliance on coal, this plant will help us continue to deliver reliable electricity while keeping bills low.”…