Oak Creek Power Plant, also known as South Oak Creek, is a base load, coal- and natural gas-fired, electricalpower station located on Lake Michigan in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Oak Creek Power Plant along with Elm Road Generation Station make up the entire Oak Creek Generating Site.
The plant was built for an initial cost of $246 million.[1] It is located on over 400 acres (160 ha) of land on the border of Milwaukee and Racine counties.
Advanced Air Quality Control Systems (AQCS) were installed in 2012 for $750 million on all four generating units. In 2009, it was listed as the third largest generating station in Wisconsin with a net summer capacity of 1,135 MW.[2][3] The plant consumes between 6,000 and 6,400 tons of coal daily depending on system demands.[4]
On November 6, 2020 - A plan was announced that includes the retirement of the 1,100-megawatt South Oak Creek coal plant in southeastern Wisconsin over the next five years. Units 5 and 6 at South Oak Creek would be shut down in 2023 while units 7 and 8 will be shut down by 2024. [6] The closures have since been delayed to May 2024 for Units 5 and 6 and late 2025 for Units 7 and 8.[7]
Expansion
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2017)
In 2005, two 615-megawatt coal-fueled units were constructed just north of the existing Oak Creek facility. Unit 1 began commercial operation on February 2, 2010.[8] with Unit 2 following in 2011.
Natural gas combustion turbine for startup / standby power
Electricity Production
In 2021, Oak Creek Power Station (South Oak Creek Power Plant and Elm Road Generating Station combined) generated 12,180 GWh, approximately 19.46% of the total electric power generated in Wisconsin (62,584 GWh)[11] for that year. The South Oak Creek Power Plant (coal only) had a 2021 annual capacity factor of 61.65% and the Elm Road Generating Station (coal only) had a 2021 annual capacity factor of 69.26%.
Generation (MW-h) of South Oak Creek Power Plant[12]
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual (Total)
2001
594,828
386,288
578,131
436,293
420,042
498,311
581,496
616,278
550,459
425,936
381,037
387,989
5,857,088
2002
313,742
278,455
343,737
437,303
504,601
508,723
656,861
573,386
591,802
395,956
366,701
348,897
5,320,164
2003
483,785
543,226
403,931
400,037
341,862
486,333
558,267
517,715
502,669
611,095
512,605
521,029
5,882,554
2004
515,520
492,324
509,888
547,422
620,759
505,487
563,217
599,107
518,928
594,649
603,603
604,797
6,675,701
2005
419,601
483,080
512,637
309,243
466,286
582,895
534,209
525,192
478,640
522,034
457,986
538,734
5,830,537
2006
514,164
468,906
397,968
528,270
428,392
508,887
620,495
630,081
455,471
415,290
433,711
413,665
5,815,300
2007
436,879
308,027
472,268
467,187
291,119
438,908
439,940
502,457
522,073
604,577
537,923
609,785
5,631,143
2008
644,337
465,184
488,251
473,011
483,015
458,519
575,589
589,011
504,101
313,027
299,315
539,641
5,833,001
2009
418,354
366,090
371,469
208,214
255,481
205,145
370,662
396,817
354,979
527,799
437,597
486,923
4,399,530
2010
520,479
368,245
393,771
294,137
354,652
359,665
449,634
486,374
406,908
363,753
279,763
482,564
4,759,945
2011
449,824
394,542
482,445
415,671
382,364
480,110
500,914
563,176
520,005
559,962
195,935
407,215
5,352,163
2012
251,662
270,999
313,845
294,545
200,395
358,738
314,430
351,105
476,262
329,305
366,571
449,542
3,977,399
2013
429,890
447,066
234,966
294,847
508,249
509,382
583,892
371,217
363,135
335,769
305,937
362,475
4,746,825
2014
497,979
451,409
422,053
373,703
256,698
335,200
442,912
437,966
458,636
389,758
-1,058
236,204
4,301,460
2015
590,000
417,363
376,365
220,173
382,773
452,601
534,681
558,386
576,651
377,010
306,992
367,267
5,160,262
2016
450,687
138,721
237,137
254,619
259,392
350,326
454,283
528,469
371,782
249,577
230,720
304,734
3,830,447
2017
431,400
299,247
228,334
239,290
434,147
418,572
435,904
577,898
381,171
380,547
470,289
398,539
4,695,338
2018
464,871
455,040
168,219
265,170
206,501
407,102
523,526
528,979
472,707
411,130
321,556
508,348
4,733,149
2019
571,936
414,278
396,974
255,313
550,961
--
347,115
483,216
139,453
55,092
238,098
337,735
3,790,171
2020
336,925
162,630
152,374
52,597
48,356
309,385
527,558
353,924
239,277
267,058
250,114
320,169
3,020,367
2021
504,605
414,046
349,688
349,700
232,464
141,575
559,304
502,534
387,127
385,858
369,384
253,599
4,449,884
2022
371,242
328,695
304,499
251,093
312,481
344,032
406,326
321,783
221,459
174,093
142,192
208,574
3,386,470
2023
291,638
117,985
43,790
0
14,804
Subnotes:
(1) : Table data reflects electrical generation from coal fuels only (subbituminous coal, refined coal). The plant also generates a minor amount of electricity (less than 1%) from natural gas.
(2) : Major fuel changed from subbituminous coal to refined coal in January 2016. The major fuel changed back to subbituminous coal in March 2022 .
Generation (MW-h) of Elm Road Generating Station[13]
Year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Annual (Total)
2010
0
48,568
-1,840
49,662
201,912
154,065
223,351
1,656
26,969
42,664
340,628
331,711
1,419,346
2011
509,557
375,435
444,647
433,011
274,068
512,028
635,325
522,383
276,896
99,558
345,775
315,362
4,744,045
2012
216,962
59,442
198,746
221,462
156,845
67,051
415,510
573,298
59,517
0
-11,079
-12,698
1,945,056
2013
163,875
265,684
70,368
8,213
347,684
348,443
644,009
465,133
300,761
-8,772
157,720
559,077
3,322,195
2014
714,311
426,494
366,194
645,674
641,388
697,290
531,564
765,127
433,923
171,078
607,447
782,848
6,783,338
2015
689,718
563,248
488,205
542,180
733,797
582,022
742,283
658,592
397,922
415,376
697,745
583,267
7,094,355
2016
607,163
741,395
631,347
668,285
383,667
785,660
835,455
867,693
660,693
176,967
574,292
879,869
7,812,486
2017
905,955
798,714
782,578
521,480
443,478
635,060
883,074
490,738
519,759
382,538
453,522
552,687
7,369,583
2018
442,866
479,164
534,132
711,323
661,782
677,270
858,066
781,569
528,178
585,734
753,872
876,252
7,890,208
2019
637,419
771,005
523,369
534,925
428,616
0
739,105
817,677
765,115
804,830
723,552
812,844
7,558,457
2020
561,777
766,579
822,821
487,910
590,824
691,849
920,085
918,006
841,132
531,151
422,459
178,193
7,732,786
2021
566,469
793,448
909,124
492,576
913,375
891,823
907,844
898,235
669,305
301,026
-2,183
353,921
7,694,963
2022
674,073
632,632
489,365
479,334
378,274
273,575
667,146
734,253
422,028
106,308
401,028
658,207
5,916,223
2023
493,599
498,291
729,680
297,084
447,144
Subnotes:
1. Table data reflects electrical generation from all coal fuels only (bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, and refined coal). The plant also generates a minor amount of electricity (less than 1%) from natural gas.
Incidents
On February 3, 2009, six contract workers were injured when coal dust ignited in a 65-foot coal dust silo on the power plant site. They had been preparing the structure for repairs when an unknown source ignited coal dust that had accumulated at the top of the silo. All suffered burns.[14]
On October 31, 2011, a bluff area roughly the size of a football field and 200 feet above the level of Lake Michigan eroded, washing mud and debris into Lake Michigan. Close to 100 workers were at the site at the time of the collapse; none were hurt or killed.[15][16][17]