Wisconsin Public Service
ROTHSCHILD, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – The Weston Power Plant will be getting a new $171 million natural gas plant added onto its property, according to a report from Wisconsin Public Radio.
The property that the power plant sits on is split between the villages of Rothschild and Kronenwetter.
But the new natural gas facility will be on the Kronenwetter part of the land. “Unfortunately we’re going to lose out on revenue and Kronenwetter will gain,” Rothschild Village Administrator Gary Olsen told WAOW-TV. He adds they were caught in the middle during negotiations.
Wisconsin Public Service and parent company, WEC Energy Group, needed more space for the project. The only available land was on the Kronenwetter part of the site.
This move means Rothschild will be losing out on revenue it had previously earned from taxes. “Rothschild actually is going to receive less money because they’re going to be taking down those three other plants,” Olsen said.
Some of those plants were powered by coal, and WEC Energy Group has a stated goal of reducing its carbon emissions 80% by 2030.
“This plant will help us particularly meet the need when some of our renewable resources that we’re bringing online, like solar and wind, are not up and running,” WPS spokesperson Brendan Conway said.
State regulators have already voted to allow for construction to start this year. WPS says it will not raise consumer prices to cover the construction costs.
Comments