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8 February 2007 -- Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WP&L), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corp., filed regulatory papers to add another unit at one of its existing plants for 300 MW of new generation using circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology.
WP&L prefers that the new plant be an expansion of the existing Nelson Dewey site in Cassville, Wis. It also offered an alternate site expansion at the existing Columbia Energy Center near Portage, Wis.
The Wisconsin utility pointed to a more than three percent increase in demand over the past several years that necessitated the new generation. The company would like to bring the 300 MW plant online by 2012.
The proposed additional unit would use circulating fluidized bed (CFB) technology, which is a government-funded new technology that reduces the amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted to the air. Limestone is used to both fluidize the coal during combustion and capture sulfur. The limestone also lowers the operating temperatures resulting in reduced formation of nitrogen oxides. CFB technology is also able to utilize a wide variety of solid fuels, including biomass.
WP&L plans for the unit to be at the Nelson Dewey site in order to decrease transmission congestion. The utility said that its analysis shows that the addition of a 300 MW unit at Nelson Dewey is expected to increase Wisconsin's import capability by approximately 625 MW -- a 25 percent increase from the state's current import capability.
WP&L estimates the stand-alone costs of the additional unit will be approximately $717 million. WP&L also plans to add infrastructure that will be shared with the existing units at an estimated cost of $60 million, including expansion of existing barge transportation facilities and adding access to rail transportation.
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