Settlement prompts heating plant improvements

A legal settlement between the state and an environmental group will result in less coal being burned at the Charter Street Heating Plant and sets the stage for major improvements at the facility.

“Along with our partners at the state level, we have made an immediate commitment to reduce coal use at the Charter Street facility by 15 percent and cap usage while we identify ways to move forward with efficient and cleaner options,” says Alan Fish, associate vice chancellor for facilities.

The agreement means that the plant will burn 19,200 fewer tons of coal each year, enough to fill 225 railroad cars.

In addition to cutting coal use, the state agreed to complete a study to show how the Charter Street plant and the Capitol Heat and Power facility can minimize coal use and air emissions.

That study, to be completed by July 31, 2008, will analyze the feasibility, costs and reliability of energy conservation, use of alternative fuels, construction of a new co-generation plant, and installation off additional air emission controls at both facilities.

Because of the reduction in coal use, the university will emphasize energy conservation, purchasing or generating energy from renewable resources and changing the way it uses fuels and energy facilities, Fish says.

The agreement points the state and university toward major new investments in the outdated plant, and could eventually set up the facility to play a role in the university’s research in biofuels, Fish adds.

The state also agreed to review the 12 other coal-fired plants it operates around Wisconsin to determine whether they are in compliance with federal and state clean air laws. As part of the review, the state will also study ways to improve the performance of those facilities.

“This agreement goes far beyond simply resolving issues at one heating plant in Madison. Rather, it sets up a new framework for state agencies working together to ensure environmental compliance statewide,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank says.

Department of Administration Secretary Michael Morgan praised Frank’s approach in pushing for an agreement that looks comprehensively at impacts statewide.

“I look forward to working with the DNR in developing a plan to meet the energy needs of the state office buildings in downtown Madison and on the University of Wisconsin campus that will lower air emissions in the area, as well as reviewing state-owned power plants across the state,” Morgan says.

The Sierra Club sued in federal court, alleging violations of clean air laws at the facility. Prior to the settlement, U.S. District Court Judge John Shabaz ruled that the state violated the federal Clean Air Act by making various changes to the plant without installing needed pollution controls.

“This plan achieves immediate health benefits here in Madison by cutting coal use at Charter Street and is a major step forward toward eliminating coal burning in downtown Madison,” says Seth Nowak of the Sierra Club.

Fish called the agreement “a victory for all of us who are interested in moving forward with cleaner technology and ensuring a reliable source of energy for the campus.”