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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Last week, Xcel Energy Incorporated (NASDAQ:XEL) (Minneapolis, Minnesota) said it has retired the first of three units at its coal-fired Sherburne County (Sherco) Power Station in Minnesota. The utility aims to exit coal generation by 2030 and transition to clean energy to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050, with a goal of an 80% reduction by 2030.
Xcel plans to retire the other two coal-fired units at the Sherco plant in 2026 and 2030, respectively. Altogether, the three units have a combined capacity of more than 2,200 megawatts (MW).
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of project reports related to the retirement of the Sherco coal units, and click here for a plant profile.
"Sherco has served our customers reliably for nearly 50 years, and we see tremendous potential for the plant site in the Upper Midwest's energy future," said Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy--Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, in a January 4 press release. "Just as we're taking a phased approach to decommissioning the coal units, we're building replacement generation in phases to support clean, reliable and affordable energy for our customers."
The coal-fired generation at Sherco will be replaced by solar power via two sites with a combined 460 MW of generation. Construction on the first two, 230-MW phases are underway, with the West portion expected to begin operations this year, followed by the East portion in 2025. The site is expected to grow larger, should an additional 250 MW of solar power at the site receive permitting approval, Xcel said in the press release. Subscribers can read detailed projects reports on the West and East portions of the project.
In another effort to exit coal-fired generation completely by 2030, Xcel is planning to retire its 1,067-MW Tolk power plant in the Texas Panhandle in 2028, after bumping up the retirement date from 2032. Subscribers to the Power Plant Database can click here for the Tolk plant profile.
Xcel also is planning to move away from coal at its Pawnee Power Station in Colorado. Instead of using solar power to replace the generation, the utility aims to convert the plant's lone, 500-MW unit to burn natural gas. Click here to read more information on the early-stage project.
For information on the current state of coal-fired generation in the U.S., see December 26, 2023, article - 2023 was a Hard Year for U.S. Coal-Fired Generation, Future Still Looks Bleak.
During its latest investor meeting in December, Xcel said it expects to invest about $34 billion over the 2024-2028 period, with 64% of the spending attributed to electricity transmission and distribution (T&D).
One of Xcel's major T&D investments is the Colorado Power Pathway Project, which covers about 610 miles of new, double-circuit transmission line, new substations and expanded substations. The project is expected to carry more than $2 billion worth of investment, "to improve the state's electric grid and enable future renewable energy development around the state," according to the Xcel website. The first segments are expected to be in service by 2025, with other segments complete in 2026 and 2027.
In October, Xcel began construction activities on three new switching substations: the Canal Crossing Substation in Brush, the Goose Creek Substation in Cheyenne Wells and the May Valley Substation in Lamar. Subscribers can read more information on the Canal Crossing, Goose Creek and May Valley substations.
The remaining segments are either in the permitting or development phases, and subscribers can click here for a full list of project reports related to the Colorado Power Pathway Project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Xcel plans to retire the other two coal-fired units at the Sherco plant in 2026 and 2030, respectively. Altogether, the three units have a combined capacity of more than 2,200 megawatts (MW).
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of project reports related to the retirement of the Sherco coal units, and click here for a plant profile.
"Sherco has served our customers reliably for nearly 50 years, and we see tremendous potential for the plant site in the Upper Midwest's energy future," said Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy--Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, in a January 4 press release. "Just as we're taking a phased approach to decommissioning the coal units, we're building replacement generation in phases to support clean, reliable and affordable energy for our customers."
The coal-fired generation at Sherco will be replaced by solar power via two sites with a combined 460 MW of generation. Construction on the first two, 230-MW phases are underway, with the West portion expected to begin operations this year, followed by the East portion in 2025. The site is expected to grow larger, should an additional 250 MW of solar power at the site receive permitting approval, Xcel said in the press release. Subscribers can read detailed projects reports on the West and East portions of the project.
In another effort to exit coal-fired generation completely by 2030, Xcel is planning to retire its 1,067-MW Tolk power plant in the Texas Panhandle in 2028, after bumping up the retirement date from 2032. Subscribers to the Power Plant Database can click here for the Tolk plant profile.
Xcel also is planning to move away from coal at its Pawnee Power Station in Colorado. Instead of using solar power to replace the generation, the utility aims to convert the plant's lone, 500-MW unit to burn natural gas. Click here to read more information on the early-stage project.
For information on the current state of coal-fired generation in the U.S., see December 26, 2023, article - 2023 was a Hard Year for U.S. Coal-Fired Generation, Future Still Looks Bleak.
During its latest investor meeting in December, Xcel said it expects to invest about $34 billion over the 2024-2028 period, with 64% of the spending attributed to electricity transmission and distribution (T&D).
One of Xcel's major T&D investments is the Colorado Power Pathway Project, which covers about 610 miles of new, double-circuit transmission line, new substations and expanded substations. The project is expected to carry more than $2 billion worth of investment, "to improve the state's electric grid and enable future renewable energy development around the state," according to the Xcel website. The first segments are expected to be in service by 2025, with other segments complete in 2026 and 2027.
In October, Xcel began construction activities on three new switching substations: the Canal Crossing Substation in Brush, the Goose Creek Substation in Cheyenne Wells and the May Valley Substation in Lamar. Subscribers can read more information on the Canal Crossing, Goose Creek and May Valley substations.
The remaining segments are either in the permitting or development phases, and subscribers can click here for a full list of project reports related to the Colorado Power Pathway Project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
