Media Contact: Ricky Junquera, 617.599.7048, ricky.junquera@sierraclub.org
MICHIGAN CITY, IN - Today, NIPSCO closes the door on their coal-burning Bailly power plant, and has committed to closing two units at their Super Polluting Schahfer coal-burning power plant in 2023. NIPSCO will, however, still operate a peaker fracked gas unit at Bailly after the retirement of the coal units. NIPSCO continues to burn coal for electricity at their Michigan City power plant and at their Super Polluting Schahfer power plant, even though their own analysis shows that closing Schahfer and Michigan City would save its customers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Through their current 20-year planning process, NIPSCO has put forward an approach by which to replace 600 megawatts of retiring energy generation through a Request for Proposal (RFP). NIPSCO’s RFP process allows developers of all forms of energy generation to submit bids for consideration to replace the retiring coal-burning generation. The process opens up the door for wind and solar projects to replace the coal going offline.
In response, the local Northwest Indiana Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign team released the following statement:
“NIPSCO must acknowledge that these retirements are not enough when they operate one of the largest polluting coal plants in the entire country - their Schahfer facility in Wheatfield - a plant that NIPSCO’s own figures show is losing money and will continue to do so as long as it operates. Through their current 20-year planning process, NIPSCO needs to replace their 600 megawatts of retiring coal with renewable energy, and safely and equitably plan to retire Schahfer and Michigan City, while protecting our workforce and regional communities. Not only can this 20-year plan help reduce high customer costs, but it could help curb the detrimental effects of climate change on the Region from fossil fuel pollution. NIPSCO publicly maintains that their goal is to provide ‘affordable, clean energy’ to their customers, we need to see a dependable commitment to renewable energy in this plan.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.