Alliant Energy, Madison Gas and Electric (MGE), and the Wisconsin Public Service Corp. revised their previous announcement that the coal burning units at the Columbia Energy Center in Portage would be decommissioned by 2024, and later 2026, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. Instead, coal operations will continue there through 2029, during which time Columbia County will continue to receive utility aid from the state for the facility’s operation.
In the meantime, Alliant and the plant’s other co-owners say they will look into new energy development, possibly converting one of the Columbia Energy Center’s coal burning units to natural gas. The delayed decommission date will allow the facility to address new regulations implemented by Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), an electric grid operator that supplies electricity to 15 U.S. states and one Canadian province.
MISO recently made the direct recommendation to speed up the addition of energy resources like natural gas and delay the retirement of old resources like coal to manage expected growth in demand for electricity. It also reportedly changed accreditation levels for some energy generation resources, like solar power, which impacts the Columbia Energy Center.
