Wyodak Power Plant
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Wyodak Power Plant is an operating power station of at least 402-megawatts (MW) in Gillette, Campbell, Wyoming, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Wyodak Power Plant | 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):
- Unit 1: 44.287911, -105.383969
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: subbituminous | 402.3 | subcritical | 1978 | 2039 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Black Hills Power Inc [20%]; PacifiCorp [80%] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [80.0%]; Black Hills Corp [20.0%] |
Financing
- Owner: PacifiCorp 80%[1], South Dakota Electric 20%[2]
Retirement discussions
In September 2021, PacifiCorp listed Wyodak's coal unit retirement as scheduled for 2039 under its Integrated Resource Plan's preferred portfolio.[3]
Emissions Data
- 2006 CO2 Emissions: 2,872,883 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions: 6,514 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- 2006 NOx Emissions: 3,855 tons
- 2005 Mercury Emissions: 134 lb.
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Wyodak Power Plant
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[4] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[5]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Wyodak Power Plant
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 6 | $41,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 8 | $910,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 99 | $5,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 4 | $93,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 4 | $1,600,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 6 | $2,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed February 2011
Citizen groups
- Powder River Basin Resource Council
- Sierra Club Wyoming Chapter
- Wyoming Conservation Voters
- Wyoming Conservation Voters Education Fund
- Wyoming Outdoor Council
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Pacificorp 10-k 2019" bkenergy.com accessed June 17,2020
- ↑ "Black Hills Corp 2019 Annual Report" blackhillscorp, accessed June 17,2020
- ↑ "Integrated Resource Plan," PacifiCorp, 2021
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
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.
