We Energies is looking to shift away from its coal-powered energy units to make room for a 1,100-megawatt natural gas product.”We are moving away from older, less efficient fossil fuel plants, coal plants mostly,” Brendan Conway, a spokesperson for We Energies, said.The $1.2 billion dollar proposal would allow We Energies to begin construction on its Oak Creek power plant to have the natural gas units online by early 2027.We Energies already shut down two of its coal-powered units last year. The company plans to retire the remaining two by the end of this year.A recent report from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin found that the proposed plant would produce 1.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, about 75% less than the coal-powered plant.”This does provide not only a cleaner footprint, but reliable power for the state of Wisconsin,” Oak Creek Mayor Daniel Bukiewicz said during Monday’s Oak Creek common council meeting.Despite the PSC’s findings on the new proposal lowering the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, one Wisconsin-based environmental group told 12 News that any amount of fossil fuels poses an environmental risk.”They are still choosing to invest in fossil fuel infrastructure that will continue to burn, fossil fuels that release greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution pollutants for years to come,” Ciaran Gallagher, energy and air manager at Clean Wisconsin, said.
We Energies is looking to shift away from its coal-powered energy units to make room for a 1,100-megawatt natural gas product.
“We are moving away from older, less efficient fossil fuel plants, coal plants mostly,” Brendan Conway, a spokesperson for We Energies, said.
The $1.2 billion dollar proposal would allow We Energies to begin construction on its Oak Creek power plant to have the natural gas units online by early 2027.
We Energies already shut down two of its coal-powered units last year. The company plans to retire the remaining two by the end of this year.
A recent report from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin found that the proposed plant would produce 1.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, about 75% less than the coal-powered plant.
“This does provide not only a cleaner footprint, but reliable power for the state of Wisconsin,” Oak Creek Mayor Daniel Bukiewicz said during Monday’s Oak Creek common council meeting.
Despite the PSC’s findings on the new proposal lowering the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, one Wisconsin-based environmental group told 12 News that any amount of fossil fuels poses an environmental risk.
“They are still choosing to invest in fossil fuel infrastructure that will continue to burn, fossil fuels that release greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution pollutants for years to come,” Ciaran Gallagher, energy and air manager at Clean Wisconsin, said.