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Wisconsin Co-op Will Close Coal-Fired Plant

January 26, 2020

The post Wisconsin Co-op Will Close Coal-Fired Plant appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Wisconsin-based Dairyland Power Cooperative on Jan. 23 said it would close its 345-MW coal-fired Genoa Station No. 3 by year-end 2021. The move comes as the La Crosse-based utility continues to phase out coal-fired power generation while it develops a new, $ 700-million natural gas-fired plant, and ramps up its use of renewable power sources.

The Genoa plant has operated for nearly 51 years. Dairyland said the plant employs about 80 workers.

“Our employees are Dairyland’s most valued resource,” said Dairyland CEO Barbara Nick in a statement. “As we made this difficult decision, we did so with a deep appreciation for the contributions of our employees who have dedicated their talents and energy to help us deliver on our mission to our members.”

The supercritical Genoa facility, which was brought online in June 1969, was designed to be highly efficient and uses low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin, delivered by barge.…

Wisconsin PSC Backs Construction of Gas-Fired Plant

January 18, 2020

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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.…

Another Coal-fired Plant Will Close in Wisconsin

December 4, 2017

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WEC Energy Group continues to move away from coal-fired power in its portfolio. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based utility in November gave WEC investors more details about the plan for Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), a WEC subsidiary, to close the Pulliam Power Plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as early as next fall.

WEC subsidiary We Energies last week said it will close its coal-fired Pleasant Prairie plant in the second quarter of 2018. WEC also in 2016 signed an agreement to replace coal units at the its Presque Isle plant in Michigan with natural gas-fired generation; Michigan regulators approved that plan in October of this year. That plant in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is operated by WEC subsidiary Upper Michigan Energy Resources.

Plans for the Pulliam plant’s eventual closure were first announced in October 2016, according to Matt Cullen, a spokesman for WPS. The plant began service in 1927, and at one time had eight coal-fired generating units; it operates two today. The plant is located at the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay.…

Proposed Wisconsin Gas-Fired Plant Would Aid Utilities’ Renewable Initiatives

June 11, 2017

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Minnesota Power and Wisconsin’s Dairyland Power Cooperative announced plans to co-develop a combined cycle natural gas–fired power plant, a 550-MW facility designed to provide backup power for the utilities’ efforts to expand their use of renewable energy sources.

The Nemadji Trail Energy Center would be built along the Nemadji River in Superior, Wis., a location adjacent to both utilities’ service territories. The utilities would co-own the facility and divide its electrical power output. The companies said that if regulators approve the plan (a decision is expected sometime in 2018), construction could begin in 2020 and the $ 700-million plant—each company investing $ 350 million—could be operational in 2024 or 2025.

Minnesota Power spokeswoman Amy Rutledge said the Superior site’s access to existing natural gas and electric transmission lines made it a logical choice for the utilities. The area is served by multiple natural gas lines, including from Northern Natural Gas, Great Lakes Gas Transmission, and ANR Pipeline, according to analysts Rocco Canonica and Richard Frey of S&P Global and Platts Analytics.…