Xcel Energy announces plan to close St. Croix River power plant

Allen S. King Plant near Bayport will be retired as utility company moves toward renewable, carbon-free energy sources.

By

/

/

2 minute read

Xcel Energy Allen S. King Generating Station (Greg Seitz, St. Croix 360)

The Allen S. King Generating Station on the St. Croix River will close in 2028, Xcel Energy announced today. The move is part of the electric utility’s plan to close all its remaining coal-fired plants by 2030, 10 years earlier than previously planned.

Shutting down the King Plant in less than 10 years will mean the removal of a significant fixture on the lower St. Croix River, and help Minnesota move toward an energy system with far less emissions of the carbon gasses that contribute to climate change.

According to Xcel, the King Plant burns up to 300 tons of coal per hour, enough to fill 2.5 train cars. In 2017, that meant it released about 3 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

[su_button url=”https://www.stcroix360.com/support/” size=”7″ center=”yes” radius=”5″ icon=”icon: lock”]Please support St. Croix 360 →[/su_button]


Xcel plans to replace the coal power with wind and solar, and some natural gas in the short term. The plan calls for more than tripling the amount of solar energy generation capacity in the state by 2030.

“This is a significant step forward as we are on track to reduce carbon emissions more than 80% by 2030 and transform the way we deliver energy to our customers,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy – Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. “Accelerating the closure of our coal plants and leading this clean energy transition would not be possible without the dedication and support of our key stakeholders. We thank them for their work to put us on a path to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.”

The plan was developed in partnership with environmental and labor groups. It prioritizes training and other strategies to create new jobs in the development of solar and wind generation.

“The proposal announced today shows the company’s commitment to responding to the urgent threat of climate change in ways that save customers money and promotes local economies and jobs,” said James Gignac, Lead Midwest Energy Analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists.

It was the construction of the Allen S. King Plant beginning in 1965 that spurred much of the action to protect the St. Croix as Wild & Scenic in 1968. Opposition to the proposal highlighted the lack of protections for the river, and galvanized environmentalists. The plant’s builder, Northern States Power, now owned by Xcel, donated tens of thousands of acres of land along the upper river to the National Park Service 50 years ago, after the river was designated Wild and Scenic by the federal government.

Xcel and its partners will submit the plan for approval by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in July.


Comments

6 responses to “Xcel Energy announces plan to close St. Croix River power plant”

  1. Gahnzo Avatar
    Gahnzo

    “Xcel plans to replace the coal power with wind and solar, and some natural gas in the short term. The plan calls for more than tripling the amount of solar energy generation capacity in the state by 2030.” OH my that is hilarious… is this from the Babylon Bee? Or no no no no.. it’s got to be from the Onion.. IT DOESN’T WORK IN THE MIDWEST… Xcel customers, get ready for you bills to go up again.. and again.. and again..

  2. Linda Gilbert Avatar
    Linda Gilbert

    This is a huge effort by Excel. Yes, coal burning is a huge part of carbon emissions; but what happens to the solar cells if we have a winter too cold for the cells ti work properly? Is removing ALL coal burning facilities truly a wise decision? Why is this iconic structure considered any “eye sore” by the author of this article? Is Excel going to remove the building and smoke stack? Many of us think that solar farms are eyesores and also the look of windmills upsetting a beautiful horizon.

    1. Mike Avatar
      Mike

      It never gets too cold for solar cells, in fact they are more efficient at colder temperatures.

  3. Daniel R Rundquist Avatar
    Daniel R Rundquist

    SO, AT WHAT COST TO CUSTOMERS???????

    1. john Avatar
      john

      exactly my thoughts. We all know excel will pass the cost on to us in the form of rate increases.

  4. clark montgomery Avatar
    clark montgomery

    I hope that the smokestack and the generator building are torn down after the closing

REPUBLISHING TERMS

You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons license. You may not edit or shorten the text, you must attribute the article to St. Croix 360 and you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email greg@stcroix360.com

License

Creative Commons License Attribution-ShareAlikeCreative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
Xcel Energy announces plan to close St. Croix River power plant