Weston Generating Station
The Weston Generating Station, also known as the Weston Power Plant, is a base load, coal fired, electrical power station located in the villages of Rothschild and Kronenwetter in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. In 2009, it was listed as the fifth largest generating station in Wisconsin, with a net summer capacity of 1,076 MW.[2] It is owned by Wisconsin Public Service, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group.
Weston Generating Station | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Location | Rothschild & Kronenwetter, Wisconsin |
Coordinates | 44°51′31″N 89°38′59″W |
Status | Operational |
Commission date | 1954 |
Owner(s) | Wisconsin Public Service (WEC Energy Group) |
Thermal power station | |
Primary fuel | Sub-bituminous coal[1] |
Cooling source | Unit 1 and 2:Wisconsin River Unit 3 and 4:Cooling towers |
Power generation | |
Nameplate capacity | 1,076 MW (net, summer) [2] |
Capacity factor | 50.75 (2021) |
Annual net output | 4767 GWh (2021) |
This plant is connected to the power grid via numerous 115 kV and 345 kV lines. In February 2008 the Arrowhead-Weston 345,000 volt transmission line was completed allowing more power to be transmitted between Duluth, Minnesota, The Stone Lake Substation, and the Weston plant. Unit 1 was retired in 2015, while Unit 2 was switched to natural gas.
Between November 2016 and April 2020, the plant consumed on average 196,670 tons of coal per month, or approximately 6,500 tons daily.[3]
Units
Unit | Capacity (MW) | Commissioning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 60 (nameplate) 59.8 (summer) 60.4 (winter) [1] |
1954 [1] | |
2 | 81.6 (nameplate) 81.5 (summer) 82.5 (winter) [1] |
1960 [1] | |
3 | 350.5 (nameplate) 333.1 (summer) 336.3 (winter) [1] |
1981 [1] | |
4 | 595 (nameplate) 537 (summer) 537 (winter) [1] |
2008 [1] |
Electricity Production
In 2021, Columbia Energy Center generated 4,767 GWh, approximately 7.6% of the total electric power generated in Wisconsin (62,584 GWh)[4] for that year. The plant had a 2021 annual capacity factor of 50.75%.
Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual (Total) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 297,762 | 290,911 | 85,476 | 193,123 | 252,182 | 261,996 | 305,717 | 306,394 | 251,056 | 326,714 | 289,105 | 308,822 | 3,169,258 |
2002 | 258,753 | 265,214 | 288,181 | 291,317 | 271,133 | 187,606 | 300,717 | 304,954 | 265,132 | 271,051 | 261,525 | 237,005 | 3,202,588 |
2003 | 303,803 | 288,459 | 323,537 | 300,405 | 179,679 | 175,037 | 300,127 | 300,175 | 283,777 | 312,480 | 287,812 | 318,808 | 3,374,099 |
2004 | 321,940 | 292,343 | 298,091 | 282,538 | 204,553 | 197,803 | 305,358 | 303,237 | 305,941 | 322,007 | 308,465 | 318,971 | 3,461,247 |
2005 | 321,248 | 282,783 | 332,162 | 309,781 | 294,337 | 303,120 | 309,226 | 307,259 | 238,149 | 257,252 | 288,289 | 324,617 | 3,568,223 |
2006 | 279,711 | 280,380 | 275,444 | 292,284 | 309,846 | 300,413 | 289,361 | 294,324 | 234,947 | 293,887 | 271,565 | 293,360 | 3,415,522 |
2007 | 318,045 | 252,006 | 273,785 | 127,557 | 216,955 | 302,042 | 333,060 | 323,189 | 283,801 | 137,690 | 81,349 | 102,526 | 2,752,005 |
2008 | 220,229 | 293,320 | 305,904 | 273,132 | 275,442 | 213,364 | 550,314 | 632,574 | 454,969 | 463,006 | 391,844 | 389,679 | 4,463,777 |
2009 | 616,634 | 490,879 | 358,312 | 287,284 | 552,343 | 469,652 | 694,298 | 410,874 | 472,510 | 438,026 | 622,742 | 667,109 | 6,080,663 |
2010 | 620,895 | 619,573 | 653,475 | 452,645 | 605,900 | 614,973 | 631,520 | 616,699 | 536,567 | 446,281 | 400,222 | 606,572 | 6,805,322 |
2011 | 593,679 | 446,690 | 548,707 | 491,307 | 465,753 | 460,855 | 622,897 | 583,530 | 422,129 | 432,831 | 446,238 | 517,114 | 6,031,730 |
2012 | 376,170 | 337,763 | 334,409 | 298,095 | 260,525 | 577,384 | 610,553 | 502,764 | 378,085 | 442,863 | 418,381 | 432,627 | 4,969,619 |
2013 | 567,949 | 531,496 | 593,101 | 513,014 | 432,033 | 505,748 | 553,781 | 521,803 | 500,792 | 307,204 | 426,017 | 633,144 | 6,086,082 |
2014 | 639,057 | 484,449 | 369,030 | 344,055 | 189,328 | 472,005 | 513,605 | 515,520 | 373,732 | 349,600 | 393,042 | 370,052 | 5,013,475 |
2015 | 465,608 | 493,389 | 505,775 | 291,086 | 259,339 | 343,160 | 526,141 | 508,589 | 432,888 | 196,732 | 82,613 | 308,315 | 4,413,635 |
2016 | 436,700 | 421,215 | 261,864 | 296,184 | 306,403 | 256,090 | 326,160 | 286,730 | 357,051 | 389,694 | 306,950 | 160,711 | 3,805,752 |
2017 | 251,517 | 322,618 | 309,688 | 370,074 | 298,877 | 410,675 | 490,048 | 415,673 | 394,701 | 454,698 | 240,849 | 339,992 | 4,299,410 |
2018 | 485,204 | 331,841 | 269,895 | 328,883 | 157,233 | 383,160 | 464,672 | 494,217 | 386,278 | 378,342 | 416,168 | 525,243 | 4,621,136 |
2019 | 466,962 | 386,350 | 491,544 | 323,301 | 332,037 | 353,328 | 454,107 | 429,509 | 329,435 | 232,056 | 264,122 | 346,266 | 4,409,017 |
2020 | 315,759 | 281,180 | 392,146 | 399,664 | 358,899 | 448,163 | 517,322 | 404,962 | 306,624 | 285,086 | 141,057 | 246,418 | 4,097,280 |
2021 | 414,024 | 461,947 | 196,119 | 288,826 | 404,081 | 417,938 | 483,719 | 575,778 | 392,163 | 446,985 | 301,412 | 383,852 | 4,766,844 |
2022 | 536,449 | 412,570 | 324,267 | 307,421 | 402,564 | 395,610 | 456,521 | 422,598 | 300,466 | 232,890 | 3,791,356 | ||
2023 |
Sub-notes:
(1) : Table data reflects electrical generation from all fuels (subbituminous coal, refined coal, distillate fuel oil, and natural gas). Monthly natural gas generation represents on average 1.2% of total generation.
(2) : Major fuel switched from subbituminous coal to refined coal in November 2016
See also
References
- "Electricity Generating Capacity: Existing Electric Generating Units by Energy Source, 2008". U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- "Wisconsin - Ten Largest Plants by Generating Capacity, 2009" (PDF). U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- "Electricity Data Browser". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
- "Electricity Data Browser". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
- "Electricity Data Browser". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-15.