Schahfer Generating Station
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Schahfer Generating Station is an operating power station of at least 1105-megawatts (MW) in Wheatfield, Jasper, Indiana, United States with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as Rollin M. Schahfer Generating Station.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Schahfer Generating Station | Wheatfield, Jasper, Indiana, United States | 41.216194, -87.023761 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 14, Unit 15, Unit 16A, Unit 16B, Unit 17, Unit 18, Unit 19 A-C, Unit 20, Unit 21A, Unit 21B, Unit 22A, Unit 22B: 41.216194, -87.023761
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Equipment | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 14 | Retired | coal: bituminous[2] | 540 | supercritical | – | 1976 | 2021 | – | no |
| Unit 15 | Retired | coal: bituminous[2] | 556.4 | subcritical | – | 1979 | 2021 | – | no |
| Unit 16A | Operating[3] | fossil gas: natural gas[3] | 129[3] | gas turbine[3] | no[3] | 1979[3] | 2026 (planned)[4] | – | no |
| Unit 16B | Operating[3] | fossil gas: natural gas[3] | 129[3] | gas turbine[3] | no[3] | 1979[3] | 2026 (planned)[4] | – | no |
| Unit 17 | Operating[5] | coal: bituminous[2] | 423.5 | subcritical | – | 1983 | 2026 (planned)[5] | – | no |
| Unit 18 | Operating[5] | coal: bituminous[2] | 423.5 | subcritical | – | 1986 | 2026 (planned)[5] | – | no |
| Unit 19 A-C | Pre-construction[6][7][8][9][10][11] | fossil gas: natural gas[7][12][6][13] | 152.1[6][10][8][12] | gas turbine[6][10] | no[10] | 2026 (planned)[7][10] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 20 | Pre-construction[6][7][8][9][10][11] | fossil gas: natural gas[7][12][13] | 708.1[6][10][8][12] | gas turbine[6][10] | no[10] | 2026 (planned)[7][10] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 21A | Pre-construction[4][14][6][11] | fossil gas: natural gas[11] | 996.4[6][11] | combined cycle[6][11] | – | 2027 (planned)[4] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 21B | Pre-construction[4][14][6][11] | fossil gas: natural gas[11] | 996.4[6][11] | combined cycle[6][11] | – | 2029 (planned)[4] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 22A | Pre-construction[4][14][6][11] | fossil gas: natural gas[11] | 996.4[6][11] | combined cycle[6][11] | – | 2029 (planned)[4] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 22B | Pre-construction[4][14][6][11] | fossil gas: natural gas[11] | 996.4[6][11] | combined cycle[6][11] | – | 2029 (planned)[4] | – | not found | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 14 | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 15 | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 16A | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 16B | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 17 | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 18 | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 19 A-C | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 20 | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 21A | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 21B | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 22A | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 22B | Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC [100%][11] | NiSource Inc [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic
Impacts
Potential emissions and details on the project's status and permit applications can be viewed on Oil and Gas Watch page here.
The Oil and Gas Watch database, created by Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), is a free, public-facing tool designed to track the rapid expansion of fossil fuel and petrochemical infrastructure in the United States. Oil and Gas Watch maps new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects across the country and monitors each project’s construction status so the public can stay informed about major oil and gas developments being proposed in their communities. We track key environmental approvals companies must obtain before starting construction or operations and provide access to thousands of government records and permits unearthed by our analysts.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Unit Retirements
In November 2016, NIPSCO said it planned to close two units at the power station by 2023.[15]
In September 2018, NIPSCO said it planned to close all four units at the power station by 2023.[16][17][18]
In February 2021, NIPSCO said it planned to move up the retirement of units 14-15 to 2021. The coal generation would be replaced with a combination of wind, solar, and storage capacity.[19]
In October 2021, Units 14 and 15 were retired.[20]
As of June 2023, Units 17 and 18 were reportedly slated for retirement by the end of 2025.[21]
Department of Energy orders Schahfer coal plant to stay online
In late December 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ordered NIPSCO to keep Schahfer Generating Station’s coal units operating past their previously planned retirement date at the end of 2025. The 90-day emergency order was in effect until March 23, 2026.[22] The order for the Schahfer plant reportedly marked the third time the DOE had used emergency powers in 2025 to prevent coal plants from retiring.[23]
In January 2026, an analysis by Synapse Energy Economics found that the continued operation of Schahfer coal Units 17 and 18 would lead to an estimated net cost of US$18.7 million over the 90-day emergency order period.[24]
In late March 2026, the DOE issued another emergency order to keep Schahfer’s coal units online. The order remained in effect until June 21, 2026.[25]
In June 2026, the DOE issued its third emergency order to keep Schahfer’s coal units online through September 19, 2026.[26]
According to reporting from August 2026, NIPSCO had spent US$116.7 million to comply with the DOE’s first emergency order from January through March 2026. Over that same period, Schahfer’s coal units had earned US$33.5 million in revenue from electricity sales. NIPSCO was seeking to recover US$38 million in costs from that period from customers in Indiana and other states covered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).[27]
In September 2026, the DOE issued a fourth emergency order to keep the two coal units at Schahfer available through December 18, 2026. NIPSCO was reportedly complying with the orders, but the company said that Schahfer’s coal units were offline for “significant turbine and boiler work.”[28]
Replacement of Units 16A and 16B
In September 2023, NIPSC filed an application with Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) for construction of an approximately 400 MW gas peaker project (Unit 16R) by the end of 2026, which will replace gas units 16A and 16B. The project will consist of one larger gas turbine with three smaller aeroderivative or similarly sized gas turbines. This combination of units will complement each other and allow NIPSCO flexibility in how it dispatches the units. The project will be located on available property at NIPSCO’s Schahfer site and utilize the interconnection rights associated with Units 17 and 18, which will be retiring by the end of 2025. The project was approved by IURC in October 2024[29][30]
Announced Gas Generation
NIPSCO filed plans with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in September 2025 to construct a 2,300 MW facility at the Schahfer Generating Station. The proposal calls for four combined-cycle combustion turbines with electrical generators and heat recovery steam units. The company confirmed it had entered into a contract to serve at least one data center customer, but has not disclosed further details. The company also has not released a cost estimate or construction timeline for the project, which is set to meet rising power demand for new data centers.[31]
Emissions Data
- 2024 Gross Load (MWh): 2,036,420[32]
- 2024 SO2 Mass (short tons): 395[32]
- 2024 CO2 Mass (short tons): 1,991,422[32]
- 2024 NOx Mass (short tons): 1,351[32]
- 2023 Mercury emissions (Hg, lb): 10.05[33][34]
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Schahfer Generating Station
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[35] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[36]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Schahfer Generating Station
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 89 | $650,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 140 | $15,000,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 1,500 | $78,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 65 | $1,500,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 55 | $24,000,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 94 | $35,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed March 2011
Super-polluter
A 2016 Center for Public Integrity-USA Today-Weather Channel investigation identified the NIPSCO Schahfer plant as one of the nation’s 22 “Super Polluters” -- power plants and industrial facilities that emit the most toxic pollution and greenhouse gases in the country. Schahfer emitted 8.8 million tons of greenhouse gases into the air in 2014 and more than 1.6 million pounds of toxic chemicals.[15]
Coal Ash Waste
In November 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to delay the closure deadline for unlined coal ash ponds at eleven coal plants, including Schahfer Generating Station. Under a 2015 rule, unlined coal ash ponds were to cease receiving waste by April 2021, but in 2020, the then Trump administration extended the deadline to October 2028. The EPA’s latest proposal would allow the eleven coal plants to continue operating and dumping coal ash into unlined ponds until October 2031.[37][38] Earthjustice said that all of the unlined coal ash ponds at the eleven plants were known to be contaminating surrounding groundwater, and that courts had already ruled that the plants cannot dump coal ash into holding ponds that leak pollutants into the groundwater.[37]
EPA "high hazard" coal waste dam
In November 2011, the EPA released a new set of coal waste data that revealed 181 “significant” hazard dams in 18 states - more than three times the 60 significant-hazard ponds listed in the original database released in 2009. In addition to the increase in the number of significant hazard-rated ponds, eight previously unrated coal ash ponds were found to be high hazard ponds in information released by the EPA earlier in 2011. Because of the switch in ratings after the EPA inspections, the total number of high hazard ponds has stayed roughly the same at a total of 47 ponds nationwide.[39]
According to the National Inventory of Dams (NID) criteria, “high” hazard coal ash ponds are categorized as such because their failure will likely cause loss of human life. Six states that gained high hazard ponds include:[39]
- Indiana: Schahfer Generating Station, Wheatfield: 2 high hazard ponds
Dean Mitchell Station to close, pollution controls at three other plants
On January 13, 2011, the Obama administration brokered a settlement in which Northern Indiana Public Service Co. will permanently shut down an idled coal-fired power plant in Gary, Indana - the Dean Mitchell Generating Station - and spend $600 million to install and improve pollution controls at the company's three other aging electric generators - Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield, Bailly Generating Station in Chesterton, and the Michigan City Generating Station. The improvements will reduce smog- and soot-forming sulfur oxide by 46,000 tons a year and curb lung-damaging nitrogen oxide by 18,000 tons annually, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. NIPSCO faced legal troubles for upgrading the power plants to keep them operating while failing to install modern pollution controls required under the Clean Air Act's New Source Review provisions. The plants avoided the toughest provisions of the law for decades, in part because regulators assumed during the 1970s that they wouldn’t be running much longer.[40]
The settlement is the 17th negotiated by the EPA and the Justice Department since Obama took office, as part of a national campaign to reduce air pollution from the oldest existing coal plants, some of which date back to the 1940s. Most of the cases have involved utilities in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. NIPSCO also will pay a $3.5 million fine and spend another $9.5 million on environmental projects, including soot filters for old diesel engines, cleaner woodstoves and restoration of land next to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.[40]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B012'58.3%22N+87%C2%B001'25.5%22W/@41.216194,-87.0263359,860m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d41.216194!4d-87.023761!5m1!1e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTEwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 "U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (November 2019)". Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 (PDF) https://www.in.gov/iurc/files/NIPSCO-2024-Integrated-Resource-Plan-Document.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "DOE orders Indiana coal units totaling more than 950 MW to run past retirement dates". Utility Dive. 2025-12-24. Archived from the original on 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
{{cite web}}: Text "Utility Dive" ignored (help) - ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 (PDF) http://permits.air.idem.in.gov/49556d.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 "NIPSCO Continues Path Toward Lower-Cost, Sustainable and Reliable Energy Future". NIPSCO. Archived from the original on 2025-11-04. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 (PDF) https://www.in.gov/oucc/files/02.2024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://www.in.gov/oucc/electric/key-cases-by-utility/nipsco-electric-rates/nipsco-electric-gas-generation-proposal/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 https://iurc.portal.in.gov/docketed-case-details/?id=d31fdda7-a051-ee11-be6e-001dd8065be9.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 11.18 11.19 11.20 11.21 11.22 11.23 11.24 11.25 11.26 11.27 11.28 11.29 https://www.inkfreenews.com/2025/10/01/nipsco-files-plans-for-gas-plant-powering-data-centers/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 NIPSCO (2024). "NIPSCO 2024 IRP Report" (PDF). NIPSCO. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-09-20. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "NIPSCO Seeks Approval for a $644M Gas Peaker Plant". Indiana Utility Report. Archived from the original on 2025-11-04. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 https://indianaeconomicdigest.net/MobileContent/Default/Top-Story/Article/NIPSCO-looking-to-build-massive-natural-gas-plant-in-Jasper-County-to-serve-data-centers/-3/5309/119990.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 15.0 15.1 "With Announcement Today, Northwest Indiana Utility Reducing Coal Generation from 90% in 2010 to 25% by 2037," Sierra Club, November 2, 2016
- ↑ Keith Benman, "NIPSCO will close Bailly power plant May 31, 2018," NWI, Dec 18, 2016
- ↑ "Nipsco retires Bailly coal units, may add more renewables, storage," Platts, 1 Jun 2018
- ↑ "Breaking: NIPSCO may close all four Schahfer stations," rensselaer_republican, Sep 19, 2018
- ↑ "NiSource to shut down 900 MW of coal as it accelerates energy transition | S&P Global Platts". www.spglobal.com. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
- ↑ "Article - NiSource". www.nisource.com. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
- ↑ "Fitch Affirms NiSource and NIPSCO; Outlooks Stable," Fitch Ratings, June 12, 2023
- ↑ “DOE orders Indiana coal units totaling more than 950 MW to run past retirement dates,” Utility Dive, December 24, 2025
- ↑ “DOE orders 2 Indiana coal plants to continue operating,” E&E News, December 24, 2025
- ↑ “Cost of Continued Operation of Culley Unit 2 and Schahfer Units 17–18 Under Federal Power Act Orders,” Synapse Energy Economics, January 21, 2026
- ↑ “Controversial federal orders keep 2 Indiana coal plants online again,” IndyStar, March 24, 2026
- ↑ “Feds order 2 Indiana coal plants to keep running again — until Sept.,” IndyStar, June 23, 2026
- ↑ “NIPSCO seeks $38M from customers for first 3 months of forced coal plant run,” Indiana Capital Chronicle, August 7, 2026
- ↑ “Indiana coal retirements delayed again as utilities seek to recover costs,” Indiana Capital Chronicle, September 21, 2026
- ↑ "Docketed Case Details - 45947". iurc.portal.in.gov. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "OUCC: NIPSCO Electric: Gas Generation Proposal". www.in.gov. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "NIPSCO Files Plans For Gas Plant Powering Data Centers – InkFreeNews.com". www.inkfreenews.com. 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 EIA (2024). "Clean Air Markets Program Data (CAMD)". Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ↑ Clean Air and Power Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (February 2024). "Annual data 2022 vs. 2023". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ↑ Toxics Release Inventory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (October 2024). "2023 Basic Plus Data". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 “EPA Proposes to Delay Closure of Some of the Largest Toxic Coal Ash Ponds, in Violation of the Law,” Earthjustice, November 25, 2025
- ↑ “Trump administration proposes to extend the life of some coal plants,” The Hill, November 26, 2025
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 Ken Ward Jr., "EPA data reveals more dangerous coal ash ponds" Coal Tattoo, Oct. 31, 2011.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Michael Hawthorne, "Deal would clear up coal-plant pollution" Chicago tribune, Jan. 13, 2011.
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
