Wygen II power station
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Wygen II power station is an operating power station of at least 95-megawatts (MW) in Gillette, Campbell, Wyoming, United States. It is also known as Wygen 2.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Wygen II power station | Gillette, Campbell, Wyoming, United States | 44.287911, -105.383969 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- ': 44.287911, -105.383969
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| operating | coal: subbituminous | 95 | subcritical | 2008 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Owner | Parent |
|---|---|
| Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power [100%] | Black Hills Corp [100.0%] |
Background
The power station is part of the Neil Simpson Complex, along with several other plants: Neil Simpson 1 (1970), Neil Simpson 2 (1995), and Wygen I (2003). All these plants use coal from the nearby Wyodak Mine.[1]
The state air permit for Wygen II power station was opposed by the National Park Service, due to pollution impacts on the Badlands and Wind Cave National Monument.
Wygen II power station went into operation on January 1, 2008.[2]
Carbon Capture and Storage plans
In January 2024, the Wyoming Public Service Commission approved an application from Black Hills Energy for a 0.67% "low-carbon" surcharge on its 145,000 customers starting in February 2024. The surcharge would be applied under the provisions of a 2020 law requiring coal plants to be retrofitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as an alternative to closing. Black Hills Energy reportedly expected CCS to cost US$500 million at the Wygen II plant.[3]
In February 2024, the Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC) said it would delay a decision on Black Hills Energy's request for a one-year extension to submit a CCS retrofit plan for its Wygen II power station and Neil Simpson Plant II. Black Hills Energy was originally required to file a plan in March 2024 for how it will meet the state's CCS mandate, which was set in 2020. The commission's deferred decision would allow sufficient time to consider possible changes to the CCS mandate, as lawmakers were seeking to push the retrofit compliance deadline from 2030 to 2033.[4]
In early March 2024, the Wyoming House of Representatives approved a bill that delays the CCS retrofit compliance deadline to 2033, and allows utilities to pass the costs onto electricity customers.[5]
Citizen Groups
- Powder River Basin Resource Council, Jill Morrison, jillm [at] powderriverbasin.org
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Black Hills Corporation 2006 shareholder report, accessed January 2008.
- ↑ "Black Hills Corporation Announces Commencement of Wygen II Power Plant Commercial Operations for Cheyenne Light Customers," PR Newswire, January 10, 2008.
- ↑ "Wyoming’s coal mandate continues to cost electric customers," Wyofile, January 24, 2024
- ↑ "Carbon capture reform advances as coal-plant owner says Wyoming’s existing mandate is unaffordable," Wyofile, February 23, 2024
- ↑ "Wyoming House OKs Bill Allowing Power Companies To Charge For Carbon Capture," Cowboy State Daily, March 4, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
