5th largest plant in Wisconsin · 273rd nationally
Columbia (Wi) is a coal power plant in Wisconsin with a nameplate capacity of 1,112 MW. It generates roughly 4.2M MWh per year — enough to power about 401,099 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 43% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 2406 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (1,112 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Columbia (Wi) |
|---|---|
| Operator | Wisconsin Power & Light Co |
| City | Pardeville |
| County | Columbia County |
| State | Wisconsin |
| ZIP | 53954 |
| Coordinates | 43.48640, -89.42030 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 556 MW | Operating | 1975 |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 556 MW | Operating | 1978 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Madison, WI | 5350.0% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Milwaukee, WI | 2750.0% |
| Madison Gas & Electric Co | Madison, WI | 1900.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| CO₂ | 5.1M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 1.4k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 2.2k metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2406 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
Coal plants burn pulverized coal to boil water and spin steam turbines. They emit substantial CO₂, SO₂, and NOₓ along with mercury and particulate matter. Modern units include scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction; older units are increasingly being retired or converted to natural gas as economics shift.