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1112 MW Sub. Coal operating in Columbia, WI
1,112 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Conventional Steam Coal
Technology
1975
Operating Since
Coordinates
43.4864, -89.4203
County
Columbia, WI
Nearby Plants
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| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Madison Gas & Electric | — |
| Owner(s) | Madison Gas & Electric Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp | MGE Energy | — |
| Status | Operating | — | — |
Columbia Energy Center is a base load, sub-bituminous coal-fired, electrical power station located south of Portage in the Town of Pacific, Columbia County, Wisconsin. Ownership is 46.2% Wisconsin Power and Light Company, 31.8% Wisconsin Public Service, and 22% Madison Gas and Electric (MGE).
Read more on WikipediaThe Columbia Energy Center is a 1112 MW coal-fired power plant located in Columbia County, Wisconsin. The plant, which began operating in 1975, is owned by MGE Energy and operated by Wisconsin Power & Light Co. It consists of two generators utilizing conventional steam coal technology and subbituminous coal (SUB) as its primary fuel. Columbia is the largest of four coal plants in Wisconsin, and ranks 34th out of 75 coal plants nationally.
In the most recent year of data, the plant generated 5,956,445 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 61.1%. The plant operates within the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO) balancing authority and is located in the MRO NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $1205.98 per kW, based on FERC filings. Recent news coverage of the plant has focused on hazards.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
ISO/RTO
MISO
Market
ISO/RTO Member
NERC Region
MRO — Midwest Reliability Organization
Balancing Authority
Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. (MISO)
Grid Voltage
345.0 kV
Regulatory Status
RE — Regulated
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Monthly net generation as reported to EIA-923 — useful for historical context. Confidence varies sharply by fuel type; the band above and the “About this data” button explain the caveats specific to this plant and how InfraSure’s in-house model handles them.
425.7K MWh
Latest Month
6.0M MWh
Annual Generation
61.1%
Capacity Factor
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CO₂ Intensity
2406 lb/MWh
NOx
1 lb/MWh
SO₂
0.673 lb/MWh
CH₄
0.261 lb/MWh
N₂O
0.038 lb/MWh
Capacity Factor
43.2%
Annual Net Gen
4212 GWh
CO₂eq
2424 lb/MWh
Subregion
MRO East
Steam turbine · Wisconsin Public Service Corporation · Data from 2015–2024
$1,321/kW
Installed Cost
$10/kW
Annual CapEx
$31.5/MWh
Operating Cost
Annual Capital & Operating Expenses
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
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Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Columbia Station · 345 kV
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Operator
American Transmission Company
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
MISO
LMP Node
ALTE.COLUMBIA1
Pricing Hub
MICHIGAN.HUB
Alt. Hub / Zone
ILLINOIS.HUB
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
No wholesale contracts disclosed in FERC EQR for this plant.
FERC EQR captures bilateral wholesale energy + capacity contracts ≥$1M/yr filed quarterly by jurisdictional sellers — covers renewable PPAs, thermal energy sales agreements, capacity contracts, and tolling agreements alike. Many plants don't appear: regulated-utility output flows to ratepayers via cost-of-service rather than bilateral contracts; small projects fall below the filing threshold; tax-equity-financed renewables route offtake to investors not utilities; merchant plants sell into ISO clearing markets without bilateral contracts. News-extracted buyer facts (below) may surface contracts disclosed only through announcements.
Last updated 2026-05-31
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