NIPSCO says it’ll be shutting down part of the R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield by the end of the year. The utility company announced this week that coal-fired units 14 and 15 will be retired.
They’ve been in service since the 1970s and are among the oldest in NIPSCO’s fleet. The rest of the plant is scheduled for retirement by May of 2023.
It’s part of NIPSCO’s larger plan to move away from coal entirely by the end of 2028. Wind projects in White, Benton, and Warren counties became operational late last year, with another one set to come online by the end of 2021. The company says it’s also upgraded its transmission system and secured additional capacity from the electric grid. NIPSCO estimates that transitioning away from coal will save $4 billion in the long term.
It says “workforce planning” is currently underway to reduce the impact on employees.
