Midwest Generation Ponders Retrofit vs. Retire Decision for Four Illinois Merchant Generators

SUGAR LAND--October 2, 2012--Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Midwest Generation (Bolingbrook, Illinois), a subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE:EIX) (Rosemead, California), held off on closing two Chicago-area coal-fired power plants that had a total of 868 megawatts of generating capacity until the Windy City's peak summer demand season ended. But now that the summer heat is fading and the Crawford and Fisk power plants have been closed, Midwest Generation is facing two interrelated challenges: restructuring its debt and deciding whether to spend between $625 million and $860 million to outfit its four remaining Illinois merchant generators with pollution control equipment. For more information on the closure of the Crawford and Fisk plants, see September 6, 2012, article -Midwest Generation EME Shutters Coal-Fired Crawford and Fisk Power Plants.

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