Columbia (WI)
Columbia (WI) is a coal plant in Columbia County, Wisconsin, operated by Wisconsin Power & Light Co. It ranks fourth by nameplate capacity among Wisconsin’s 271 power plants. The operator has reported planned retirement dates for 1,112 MW of it, in 2029. Ownership is shared by three organizations; the largest stake, 54%, is held by Wisconsin Power & Light Co.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,112 MW
1,128 MW net summer capacity
2 operable units
- Coal steam1,112 MW100%
Unit by unit, 1975 to 2025
operating in 2025reported planned retirementbar height follows unit size
Among Wisconsin’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Elm Road Generating Station1,403 MW
- 2Point Beach Nuclear Plant1,311 MW
- 3Port Washington Generating Station1,230 MW
- 4Columbia (WI)this plant
- 5Weston946 MW
- 6West Riverside Energy Center728 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 264th of 14,286
- US coal plants
- 75th of 195
- Coal plants in Wisconsin
- 2nd of 7
- Plants in the MISO (Midcontinent) balancing area
- 37th of 2,383
- Plants run by Wisconsin Power & Light Co
- 1st of 31
- Biggest single unit, among Wisconsin’s plants
- 4th of 271
Operable units
By the year its oldest working unit started, it is the third-oldest of Wisconsin’s 7 coal plants.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coal steam | 556 MW | 568 MW | 1975 | Operating, retirement planned for 2029 |
| 2 | Coal steam | 556 MW | 560 MW | 1978 | Operating, retirement planned for 2029 |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | 53.5% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | 27.5% |
| Madison Gas & Electric Co | 19.0% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- MISO (Midcontinent)
- Reliability region
- Midwest Reliability Organization
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 345 kV
- Water source
- Wisconsin River
- Nearest town on record
- Pardeville
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 43.486°N, 89.420°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Industrial Battery | Battery storage | 5 MW | 5.7 mi northwest |
| Portage Solar Plant | Solar | 11.8 MW | 12.2 mi northeast |
| Glacier Hills | Wind | 162 MW | 14.7 mi east |
| Prairie Du Sac | Hydroelectric | 33.4 MW | 19.7 mi southwest |
| Kilbourn | Hydroelectric | 9.7 MW | 20.5 mi northwest |
| Dane County Airport Solar | Solar | 10.8 MW | 23.0 mi south |
| Middleton Biogas Solar, LLC | Solar | 2.2 MW | 25.9 mi south |
| Middleton Airport Solar | Solar | 5.6 MW | 26.2 mi south |