Edgewater coal plant closure signals move towards renewable energy

By the end of 2022 Alliant Energy, a Madison-based energy company, will be shuttering the Edgewater coal plant in Sheboygan. By closing the plant, the company said in a press release, it hopes to transition to renewable energy, and avoid long-term costs for current customers.

“For decades, our Edgewater Generating Station has been providing customers and communities safe and reliable energy,” said David de Leon, president of Alliant’s Wisconsin Power and Light  Company. “As we transition from coal toward a cleaner energy mix, we are caring for our employees, creating new jobs and bringing new economic development opportunities to the communities we serve.”

Revitalizing the coal industry was one of President Donald Trump’s main campaign promises back in 2016. Not only has that not happened, but use of coal energy has continued to decline throughout his administration. In some cases, as with sand fracking, these changes may be due to the shifting tides of business. In others, companies seem to have realized that the future is quickly running out of room for dirty energy...
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