Wisconsin and coal
Contents
Introduction
Wisconsin had 70 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 7,123 MW of capacity - representing 42.5% of the state's total electric generation capacity.[1]
In 2006, Wisconsin's coal-fired power plants produced 43.7 million tons of CO2, 185,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 65,000 tons of nitrogen oxide; coal-fired power plants were responsible for 41.7% of the state's total CO2 emissions.[2] In 2005, Wisconsin emitted 18.9 tons of CO2 per person; the state had the 29th highest per capita level of CO2 emissions.[3]
No coal was mined in Wisconsin in 2006.[4] Thus, the state relies on coal imports from Wyoming, Appalachia, and southern Illinois; the state imported 27 million tons of coal in 2005.[5]
History
Citizen activism
Legislative issues
Proposed coal plants
Active
- Nelson Dewey Generating Facility, Cassville, WI
- Oak Creek Units 1 & 2, Oak Creek, WI
- Weston Unit 4, Wausau, WI
Cancelled
- E.J. Stoneman Expansion, Cassville, WI
Coal lobbying groups
Coal power companies
- Wisconsin Power & Light, owned by Alliant Energy
- Wisconsin Public Service Corp., owned by Integrys
- Wisconsin Electric Power, owned by We Energies (based in Milwaukee, WI)
- Ft. James Operating Co., owned by Koch Industries
- Madison Gas & Electric Co.
- Dairyland Power Cooperative
Existing coal plants
Wisconsin had 70 coal-fired power plants in 2005, with 7,123 MW of capacity. Here is a list of coal power plants in Wisconsin with capacity over 400 MW:[1][6]
| Plant Name | County | Owner | Year(s) Built | Capacity | 2006 SO2 Emissions | SO2/MW Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Prairie | Kenosha | We Energies | 1980, 1985 | 1233 MW | 28,566 tons | 120 |
| South Oak Creek | Milwaukee | We Energies | 1959-67 | 1192 MW | 13,594 tons | 198 |
| Columbia | Columbia | Alliant Energy | 1975, 1978 | 1023 MW | 22,396 tons | 145 |
| Edgewater | Sheboygan | Alliant Energy | 1951, 1969, 1985 | 770 MW | 15,759 tons | 128 |
| Weston | Marathon | Integrys | 1954-60, 1981 | 492 MW | 12,596 tons | 127 |
| Pulliam | Brown | Integrys | 1943-64 | 410 MW | 10,869 tons | 100 |
These six plants represent 71.9% of Wisconsin's coal energy generating capacity.
Major coal mines
There are currently no coal mines in Wisconsin.
Citizen groups
Resources
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005, Energy Information Administration, accessed April 2008.
- ↑ Estimated Emissions for U.S. Electric Power Industry by State, 1990-2006, Energy Information Administration, 2007.
- ↑ Wisconsin Energy Consumption Information, eRedux website, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ Coal Production and Number of Mines by State, County, and Mine Type, Energy Information Administration, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ "Our Insatiable Appetite for Coal", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 10, 2007.
- ↑ Environmental Integrity Project, "Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants", July 2007.
Related SourceWatch articles
- Existing U.S. Coal Plants
- US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
- Cancelled coal plant proposals
- Coal plants cancelled in 2007
- Coal plants cancelled in 2008
- Active coal plant proposals
