Dairyland Power Cooperative, a Wisconsin electric utility, announced in January 2020 that it is planning to retire Genoa Station 3, a 345 MW coal plant, in 2021, five to ten years earlier than previously planned.[1] Utility officials ultimately determined cheaper, cleaner resources were preferable over keeping the coal plant open. This announcement follows a January 16, 2020 Wisconsin regulatory decision approving Dairyland’s 625 MW gas-fired Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC), which will be co-owned with Minnesota Power, a Minnesota utility. The gas plant, which will serve customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, requires permission from both Minnesota and Wisconsin regulators. Although the plant received approval from Minnesota regulators in October 2018, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered further analysis in December 2019 and directed Minnesota’s Public Utilities Commission to do an environmental impact assessment of the plant. Dairyland is currently reviewing the Court of Appeal’s decision to determine how it will impact the project’s timeline.

[1] https://www.dairylandpower.com/content/dairyland-announces-genoa-station-3-retirement-plans