Weston Power Plant
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Weston Power Plant is an operating power station of at least 945-megawatts (MW) in Rothschild, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Weston Power Plant | Rothschild, Marathon, Wisconsin, United States | 44.857744, -89.650192 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- 2, 32, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4: 44.857744, -89.650192
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Retired[2] | fossil gas: natural gas[3] | 82[2] | steam turbine[3] | no[3] | 1960[3] | 2023[4] | no |
| 32 | Retired[2][5] | fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: fuel oil[6] | 57[2] | gas turbine[3] | no[3] | 1973[3] | 2023[5] | no |
| Unit 1 | Retired | coal: subbituminous[7] | 60 | subcritical | – | 1954 | 2015 | no |
| Unit 2 | Retired | coal: subbituminous[7] | 81.6 | subcritical | – | 1960 | 2015 | no |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: subbituminous[7] | 350.5 | subcritical | – | 1981 | 2031 (planned)[8] | no |
| Unit 4, timepoint 1 | Operating | coal: subbituminous[7] | 595 | supercritical | – | 2008 | 2030 (planned)[9] | no |
| Unit 4, timepoint 2 | Announced[5][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] | fossil gas: natural gas, coal: bituminous[11][10][7][17] | 595[1] | steam turbine[1] | – | 2030 (planned)[5][11][18][13][16] | – | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Wisconsin Public Service Corp [100%][19] | WEC Energy Group Inc [100.0%] |
| 32 | Wisconsin Public Service Corp [100%][19] | WEC Energy Group Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 1 | Wisconsin Public Service Corp [100%] | WEC Energy Group Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Wisconsin Public Service Corp [100%] | WEC Energy Group Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Wisconsin Public Service Corp [100%] | WEC Energy Group Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 1 | Dairyland Power Cooperative [30%]; Wisconsin Public Service Corp [70%] | WEC Energy Group Inc [70.0%]; Dairyland Power Cooperative [30.0%] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 2 | Dairyland Power Cooperative [30%]; Wisconsin Public Service Corp [70%] | WEC Energy Group Inc [70.0%]; Dairyland Power Cooperative [30.0%] |
Unit-level fuel conversion details:
Unit 4: Announced conversion from coal to fossil gas in 2030.
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.
Unit Retirements
Units 1 was retired in 2015.[20]
In October 2023, WEC Energy Group announced that Weston Unit 3 was scheduled to retire by the end of 2031.[21]
Coal-to-gas conversion
In October 2023, WEC Energy Group announced that they planned to use coal only as a backup fuel starting in 2030, and would exit coal entirely by the end of 2032. WEC Energy Group also announced a timeline for the retirement of its coal-fired units at the Weston Power Plant. Unit 3 will be retired in 2031, and Unit 4 will be converted to a gas plant.[22][23] A filing before the Public Commission of Wisconsin submitted in February 2024, cites WEC’s plans to convert the coal plants to burn gas. An 8K form filed in April 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirms that WEC plans to stop burning coal entirely by 2032.[24] As of June 2024, the company has not yet filed with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) for the Weston gas conversion.[24]
In October 2024, WEC Energy Group confirmed its plans to use coal only as a backup fuel by 2030.[25] According to the annual EIA-860 Form (Early release 2024 data), published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in June 2025, modification of the unit is planned in Dec 2029.[26]
According to the "Investor Update: May 2025", release by WEC Energy group, the company is planning to enhance fuel flexibility (gas blending) at Weston Unit 4 and is expecting to use coal only as a backup fuel by the end of 2030.[27] As of November 2025, the owners have not yet filed with PSCW for the Weston Unit 4 gas conversion.
Natural Gas Units
Unit 2 of the plant is a 81.6 MW Natural Gas Unit. The plant also has a 19.6 MW Combustion Turbine (W-31) and a 56.7 MW peaker unit (W-32)[28]
Emissions Data
- 2024 Gross Load (MWh): 4,421,551[29]
- 2024 SO2 Mass (short tons): 596[29]
- 2024 CO2 Mass (short tons): 3,863,714[29]
- 2024 NOx Mass (short tons): 1,112[29]
- 2023 Mercury emissions (Hg, lb): 8.35[30][31]
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Weston Power Plant
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.[32] 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.[33]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from the Weston Power Plant
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 13 | $96,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 21 | $2,300,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 220 | $11,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 10 | $230,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 8 | $3,600,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 13 | $5,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed February 2011
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20230509053328/https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia860m/. Archived from the original on 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2026-04-16.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (May 2023)". Archived from the original on 2023-09-18. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (November 2019)". Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ↑ "U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (April 2022)". Archived from the original on 2022-07-12. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Annual Electric Power Industry Report, Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". www.eia.gov. 2025-09-09. Archived from the original on 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
- ↑ "U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory (July 2021)". Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "2023 Third Quarter Earnings" (PDF). WEC Energy Group. 2023-10-31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-04-05.
- ↑ "Investor Update: September 2025" (PDF). WEC Energy Group. 2025-09. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2025-11-06.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 "WE Energies to Wisconsin ratepayers: $2B for new gas plants". Wisconsin Watch. 2024-05-17. Archived from the original on 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 (PDF) https://s22.q4cdn.com/994559668/files/doc_presentations/2025/May/16/05-2025-May-Final.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.wpr.org/economy/wec-energy-we-energies-utility-plans-stop-using-coal-fuel.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2024/10/ahead-public-hearing-wps-looks-make-customers-pay-its-failing-weston-coal.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://s22.q4cdn.com/994559668/files/doc_presentations/2024/Sep/25/10-2024-october.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.powermag.com/regulators-approve-plans-for-two-new-gas-fired-plants-in-wisconsin/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 16.0 16.1 (PDF) http://q4live.s22.clientfiles.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/994559668/files/doc_presentations/2025/May/16/05-2025-May-Final.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 17.0 17.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125180258/https://apps.psc.wi.gov/ERF/ERFview/viewdoc.aspx?docid=290039. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://investor.wecenergygroup.com/investors/presentations/default.aspx.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 19.0 19.1 "U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B), 2018". Archived from the original on 2019-11-16. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ↑ Form EIA-860 Data - Schedule 3, Generator Data, US EIA, 2014
- ↑ "2023 Third Quarter Earnings," WEC Energy Group, October 31, 2023
- ↑ "Wisconsin’s largest utility moves up plans to stop using coal as a fuel source," WPR, October 31, 2023
- ↑ "2023 Third Quarter Earnings," WEC Energy Group, October 31, 2023
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 "WE Energies wants $2 billion from Wisconsin ratepayers for new gas plants while still paying off past coal ones". wisconsinwatch.org. May 17, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Investor Update: October 2024" (PDF). q4cdn.com. May 16, 2025. Retrieved Jubne 19, 2025.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B)". EIA. June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Investor Update: May 2025" (PDF). WEC Energy Group. 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Weston Power Plant" wisconsinpublicservice.com, accessed October 25, 2020
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 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
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.
