We Energies will close its Pleasant Prairie coal power plant in Kenosha County in the second quarter of 2018, citing the low price of natural gas and increasingly affordable renewable energy as factors contributing to the decision for retiring it early. Closing the plant, which emits approximately 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, will move the utility closer to its goal of a 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.
As part of its replacement strategy, the company plans to own and develop 350 megawatts of solar power in Wisconsin by 2020, 3.5 times larger than the next largest solar project planned at Point Beach. It is unclear how all these changes will impact pricing for customers. journaltimes, jsonline