The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin unanimously approved We Energies plans to build a 1,100-megawatt (MW) natural gas plant in Oak Creek and a 128-MW natural gas plant in the Town of Paris, in Kenosha County.
Both projects are part of We Energies’ “all of the above” power generation approach that is focused on customer reliability and affordability. In the coming years, the company is planning to close older, less efficient power plants, and invest in a balanced mix of wind, solar, energy storage and natural gas.
The Oak Creek and Paris plants, along with other proposed natural gas pipeline and storage facilities, will provide critical energy when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. They also will support new jobs, economic growth and robust power demand in southeastern Wisconsin.
“The Commission’s decision today is an important next step in our efforts to meet growing electric demand across southeast Wisconsin. We are making the grid cleaner and greener while ensuring the lights stay on — no matter the weather — because we know that’s what matters most to our customers,” said Mike Hooper, president — We Energies.
Independent groups have found these plants will provide needed energy while also reducing emissions. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued preliminary approval of the air permit at the Oak Creek plant and regulators note the new plant in Oak Creek plant would be a decrease of 3.5 million tons per year of carbon dioxide compared to the current Oak Creek coal plant.
Construction on both projects will begin this year and the plants will be brought online in the coming years.