J. P. Pulliam Generating Station

J. P. Pulliam Generating Station was an electrical power station powered by sub-bituminous coal, which could also be substituted by natural gas. It was located in Green Bay, Wisconsin in Brown County. The plant was named after the former Wisconsin Public Service Corporation president John Page Pulliam (–June 15, 1951). The plant units were connected to the power grid via 138 kV and 69 kV transmission lines. The remaining coal units on site were decommissioned in 2018 leaving only the natural gas fired P31 unit active at the site.

J. P. Pulliam Generating Station
View of the plant, circa 2013
CountryUnited States
LocationGreen Bay, Wisconsin
Coordinates44°32′24″N 88°00′31″W
StatusOperational
Commission dateUnits 1–2: 1927
Unit 3: 1943
Unit 4: 1947
Unit 5: 1949
Unit 6: 1951
Unit 7: 1958
Unit 8: 1964
Unit P31: 2003
Decommission dateUnits 1–2: 1980
Units 3–4: 2007
Units 5–6: 2015
Units 7–8: 2018
Owner(s)WEC Energy
Operator(s)Wisconsin Public Service Corporation
Thermal power station
Primary fuelNatural gas
Turbine technologyCombustion turbine
Cooling sourceGreen Bay
Power generation
Nameplate capacity83 MW

Units
Units of J. P. Pulliam Generating Station[1]
Unit Nameplate capacity Initial year of operation Notes
1 10 MW 1927 Retired 1980
2 10 MW 1927 Retired 1980
3 30 MW 1943 Retired 2007
4 30 MW 1947 Retired 2007
5 50 MW 1949 693 million BTU per hour, dry bottom boilers that burned pulverized coal. Retired c.2015.[2][3]
6 62.5 MW 1951 875 million BTU per hour, dry bottom boilers that burned pulverized coal. Retired c.2015.[2][3]
7 75 MW 1958 999 million BTU per hour, dry bottom boilers that burn pulverized coal.[3] Retired c.2018.[4]
8 125 MW 1964 1510 million BTU per hour, dry bottom boilers that burn pulverized coal.[3] Retired c.2018.[4]
P31 83 MW 2003 Combustion Turbine Generator (Natural Gas or Fuel Oil)[3]

Retirement
Open water appears near the mouth of the Fox due to the warmth of the water coming out of the generating station. Photo taken by an Expedition 38 crew member on February 22, 2014

As a result of EPA clean air act enforcement, two coal fired units were retired at Pulliam in 2015 and WPSC was required to make $300 million in upgrades at the Weston Generating Station.[5] Those costs were passed on to utility rate payers.[6] At least ten positions were eliminated when Unit 5 and 6 were retired.[2]

In 2016, WEC Energy (which purchased WPS in 2014) announced they would be retiring the remaining coal units at Pulliam due to lower natural gas prices and affordability of renewables, and they would retire the plant by the end of 2018.[7] The plant was retired in October 2018,[8] with most of its equipment auctioned off in March 2019. [9]

Some local groups expressed concern that the closure may affect local bald eagle populations due to the lack of waste heat keeping the mouth of the Fox River from freezing in the winter,[10] and peregrine falcon populations due to the removal of nesting boxes.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  2. "Wisconsin Public Service to close 2 oldest coal-power units". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Associated Press. March 13, 2014.
  3. "Clean Air Permit 405031990-P10". WI DNR. June 11, 2003.
  4. Jeff Bollier (February 27, 2019). "'Halley's Comet of economic development': Stars align to relocate Green Bay's coal piles". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  5. "Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Settlement". EPA. January 4, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  6. Content, Thomas (January 4, 2013). "Green Bay utility to stop burning coal at two state plants". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  7. Murray, Patty (December 1, 2017). "Green Bay's Pulliam Plant Will 'Retire' By End Of 2018". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  8. "Utility Segment". Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K, For the Year Ended December 31, 2018. SEC.gov (Report). Retrieved Sep 20, 2019. In connection with a MISO ruling, we retired Pulliam Units 7 and 8 effective October 21, 2018
  9. "Online auction selling off equipment from Pulliam Power Plant". WLUK. Mar 22, 2019. Retrieved Sep 20, 2019.
  10. Srubas, Paul (Feb 1, 2019). "Shutdown of Pulliam plant means fewer eagles in Green Bay this winter". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved Sep 20, 2019.
  11. "Green Bay Peregrine Falcons Will Soon Need New Home". Wisconsin Public Radio. Mar 30, 2018. Retrieved Sep 20, 2019.
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