Alliant, MG&E, WEC to retire 1,100-MW Columbia coal-fired plant by 2025

Madison Gas and Electric Company, Alliant Energy Corp. and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. on Feb. 2 announced plans to retire the approximately 1,100-MW coal-fired Columbia Energy Center by the end of 2024.

The retirement of the plant located in Columbia County, Wis., is scheduled to occur in two phases; unit 1 will retire by the end of 2023 and unit 2 will retire by the end of 2024.

Alliant, through subsidiary Wisconsin Power and Light Co., owns 52.5% of the plant. WEC Energy Group Inc. subsidiary Wisconsin Public Service owns 28.1%, and MGE Energy Inc. subsidiary Madison Gas and Electric, or MG&E, owns the remaining 19.4%, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.

The depreciation of unit 1 was accelerated in 2018, which signaled the utility's belief that cost-savings could be achieved through early retirement, MG&E said in a news release.

MG&E and WEC aim to achieve net-zero carbon electricity by 2050. Since 2017, MG&E has announced nearly $400 million in renewable energy projects, which are expected to increase its owned renewable capacity by almost 675% by the end of 2022.

The retirement of the power plant marks last of Alliant's coal-fired facilities in Wisconsin, and the company plans to phase out coal from its generation fleet by 2040.

The Columbia plant started commercial operations in 1975. It is interconnected to the Midcontinent ISO-operated grid through American Transmission Co. LLC.

In 2020, Columbia received coal from Eagle Specialty Materials LLC's Belle Ayr Mine, Peabody Powder River Mining LLC's North Antelope Rochelle Mine and Thunder Basin Coal Co.'s Black Thunder mine, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.