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Wisconsin Public Service Commission Faces Criticism Over Proposed Gas Plant Project

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is under scrutiny as it considers a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for a massive new natural gas-fired power plant in Milwaukee County. The project, proposed by Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WEPCO), would generate up to 1100 MW of electricity and cost over $1.2 billion to build. However, critics argue that the project does not meet the demanding standards required for approval and would exacerbate poor air quality in the area, which already receives an "F" grade from the American Lung Association.

Key Takeaways:

  • The proposed gas plant would be located in a community that is already environmentally stressed, with high energy burdens falling especially hard on the county's Black and Brown communities.
  • The project would emit significant amounts of air pollutants, which would have serious health risks for the 10,427 individuals living within a 3-mile radius of the plant.
  • Numerous studies have demonstrated that living near gas facilities exposes residents to harmful air pollutants, linked to severe neurological, hematological, and developmental health effects, as well as increased lifetime cancer risk.
  • The plant would be built in an area designated as serious nonattainment for the 2015 ozone NAAQS standard, with ozone and PM2.5 concentrations above the state average.
  • The environmental assessment prepared by Commission and Department of Natural Resources staff is not adequate to satisfy the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act.
  • The Commission should deny the CPCN due to the project's failure to meet the standards for approval and the potential harm to public health and the environment.

Statistics:

  • The proposed plant would generate up to 1100 MW of electricity.
  • The project would cost over $1.2 billion to build.
  • 10,427 individuals live within a 3-mile radius of the proposed plant.
  • The Toxics Releases to Air indicator value within a 3-mile radius of the plant is 13,000--60% higher than the state average.
  • The area surrounding the proposed plant experiences ozone and PM2.5 concentrations above the state average.

Sources:

  • Before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Application of Wisconsin Electric Power Company for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Construct and Operate the South Oak Creek Combustion Turbine Project.
  • American Lung Association.
  • Wisconsin Environmental Health Network.

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