New: Utilities' #1 rival for talent? Big Tech. Get the free report →

Fossil Fuels & Generation
Tue, Nov 3
Molly Glick
Molly Glick
Energy Central Team
·Posted in Fossil Fuels & Generation

NEWS: An embattled $1B gas plant project in Wisconsin has gotten the axe.

  • What happened: Dairyland Power Cooperative and South Shore Energy have called off plans for a 550- to 625-MW natural gas plant near Lake Superior, which had not yet reached the construction phase. This announcement follows legal challenges from Indigenous and environmental groups, as well as pushback from local officials. 

  • The background: The Wisconsin PSC greenlit the project in 2020, when utilities pitched it as a bridge between coal retirements and the renewable transition. 

  • The throughline: More utilities are planning massive gas plants to support the data center buildout—but it’s likely that we’ll see building ratepayer opposition due to cost-shifting concerns.

1