Wedoany.com Report-Dec 27, Vistra announced that two new utility-scale solar projects in Illinois have connected to the grid and that, amid what it called “widespread concern over reliability” in the MISO market, it is pushing back the retirement of its 1,185-megawatt (MW) Baldwin Power Plant in Baldwin, Illinois.
The company said it now intends to run the Baldwin plant through 2027 instead of retiring in 2025, as previously announced, while still meeting federal Environmental Protection Agency retirement and pond closure obligations.
“Vistra is committed to the responsible transition of our fleet in Illinois, and in this case, the most reasonable path forward is to continue to operate the plant as a reliable bridge to 2027, as we, and others, bring new generation assets online in the state,” said Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra. “As many organizations have recently raised concerns over reliability and resource adequacy in central and southern Illinois, we are taking action and delivering solutions that balance the needs of reliability, affordability, and sustainability.”
With the addition of a new 68 MW utility-scale solar and 2 MW/8 MWh energy storage system, which began generating power this month, Baldwin is now more of a power generation hub than a traditional power plant. The $135-million investment involved the placement of over 200,000 solar panels across 420 acres of property the plant has owned and maintained for decades. The solar generation facility will produce approximately 140,000 MWh annually over the next 20 years.
The 1,185-MW Baldwin Power Plant produces enough electricity to power approximately 592,500 homes. Approximately 120 employees operate the Baldwin plant. Union employees are represented by IBEW Local 51.
Reusing plant sites
Across the country, Vistra is undertaking a “methodical, site-by-site analysis” of its coal fleet to determine the economic feasibility of repurposing the sites by retiring some technologies and renewing the plants with less carbon-intense generation, including solar and energy storage.
The investment at the Baldwin plant site is part of the State of Illinois’ Coal-to-Solar and Energy Storage Initiative, which encouraged the development of renewable energy assets at existing power plant sites. Along with Baldwin, Vistra continues to make progress on other Coal-to-Solar sites, including:
The 44-MW solar and 2 MW/8 MWh energy storage facility at the Coffeen Power Plant site is generating power.
Construction of the 52 MW solar and 2 MW/8 MWh energy storage facility at the Newton Power Plant will begin in 2025.
Separately, construction has begun on a 405 MW utility-scale solar facility that will interconnect at the company’s retired EEI-Joppa Power Plant through a to-be-constructed approximate 8-mile transmission line.
Since its merger with Dynegy in 2018, Vistra has taken steps to operate, retire, and transform its coal plant fleet in Illinois. The company has committed to retiring these plants by the end of 2027 to comply with existing federal EPA regulations.
Economic impacts
Vistra argues that the Baldwin Power Plant provides “significant direct and indirect” economic benefits to the region and state. An economic impact study projected the plant’s direct, indirect, and induced economic benefits and concluded that within Randolph County, the existing Baldwin plant:
Sustains approximately 298 full-time direct, indirect, and induced jobs in the area;
Generates more than $41 million in income for local workers in the county; and
Has a total regional economic output of $262 million
The new solar facility is expected to generate $6 million in total property tax payments over the project’s life, Vistra said.
Vistra and data centers
Last month, Vistra said it was engaged in discussions with large load customers for the potential sale of power from its nuclear and gas plants through long-term agreements. Stacey Doré, Vistra’s Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, told investors the company was pursuing deals based around multiple plants in its portfolio. She said one approach being discussed would be pursuing co-location deals at multiple sites in combination with building new generation. Doré said Vistra specifically in discussions with two large companies about building new gas plants to support a data center project. Gas plants in both PJM and ERCOT are drawing interest, she said.
The company is also in early discussions with some of the hyperscalers about nuclear uprates, Doré said. The hyperscalers are considered the companies that are predominately driving large-scale buildout of AI data centers, like Amazon, Google and Microsoft
