Karn Generating Plant
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Karn Generating Plant is a retired power station in Essexville, Bay, Michigan, United States. It is also known as Dan E. Karn power station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Karn Generating Plant | Essexville, Bay, Michigan, United States | 43.641447, -83.842706 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 43.641447, -83.842706
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | retired | coal - bituminous | 258 | subcritical | 1959 | 2023 |
| Unit 2 | retired | coal - bituminous | 258 | subcritical | 1961 | 2023 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Consumers Energy Co [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Consumers Energy Co [100.0%] |
Unit Retirement
The plant's two coal-fired units are planned for retirement in 2023. Consumers Energy plans to replace that power through wind energy, as part of the utility's pledge to eliminate the use of coal to generate electricity by 2040. Consumers will continue to operate units three and four at Karn, which run on oil and gas.[1]
In 2021, Consumers Energy proposed to close units 3 and 4 in 2023 just like units 1 and 2.[2]
In June 2023, all coal-fired units were officially decommissioned.[3]
Background
The power station consists of two units that are fueled by coal and two that are fueled by oil and natural gas. The coal-fired units 1 and 2 are 272.0 MW each and were commissioned in 1959 and 1961, respectively. Units 3 and 4 are oil- and gas-fueled and were commissioned in 1957 and 1977.[4]
Emissions Data
- 2006 CO2 Emissions: 4,261,230 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions: 18,410 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- 2006 NOx Emissions: 4,141 tons
- 2005 Mercury Emissions: 249 lb.
Coal waste Sites
Consumers Energy cancels Karn/Weadock expansion and announces retirement of two units at Karn/Weadock complex
On December 2, 2011, Consumers Energy announced that is was cancelling the proposed 800 megawatt Karn/Weadock Generating Complex Expansion because of "reduced customer demand for electricity due to the recession and slow economic recovery, surplus generating capacity in the Midwest market, and lower natural gas prices linked to expanded shale gas supplies." In addition, the company announced that it was suspending operations by the end of 2014 at seven existing generating units, included two units at the Whiting Generating Plant, two units at the Cobb Generating Plant, and two at the Karn Weadock Generating Complex. The company reported that it began construction in November 2011 of its first wind farm, the 100 MW Lake Winds Energy Park, in Mason County. Consumers Energy is also developing the 150 MW Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County.[5]
Karn and Weadock Generating Plants ranked 33nd on list of most polluting power plants in terms of coal waste
In January 2009, Sue Sturgis of the Institute of Southern Studies compiled a list of the 100 most polluting coal plants in the United States in terms of coal combustion waste (CCW) stored in surface impoundments like the one involved in the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill.[6] The data came from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for 2006, the most recent year available.[7]
Together Karn and Weadock Generating Plants ranked 33rd on the list, with 1,171,382 pounds of coal combustion waste released to surface impoundments in 2006.[6]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Last coal plant on the Saginaw Bay goes offline in 2023," M Live, June 13, 2018
- ↑ "CMS utility Consumers Energy accelerating Campbell coal-fired, Karn dual-fuel closures" Power-eng.com, June 24, 2021
- ↑ "Coal plants close in Bay County as Consumers Energy moves toward clean energy" MLive, June 14, 2023
- ↑ "Karn-Weadock and Combustion Turbines Fact Sheet," Hampton Township, accessed June 2018
- ↑ "Consumers Energy announces cancellation of proposed new coal plant, continued substantial investments in major coal units, anticipated suspension of operation of smaller units in 2015," Consumers Energy press release, December 2, 2011
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sue Sturgis, "Coal's ticking timebomb: Could disaster strike a coal ash dump near you?," Institute for Southern Studies, January 4, 2009.
- ↑ TRI Explorer, EPA, accessed January 2009.
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
