Dynegy Inc. has announced that they will close three of their coal-powered generating plants in southern Illinois that combined generate about 1,834 megawatts of electricity.
The closures will occur over the next year at the coal-fired unit at Newton Power Station and two coal-fired units at its Baldwin Power Station.
Dynegy CEO Robert Flexon said power plants in southern Illinois can’t recover their operating costs. He blamed that on persistently low wholesale power prices and the downstate grid operator’s market design.
Newton will lose 47 jobs with the closure.
Congressman John Shimkus issued the following statement about the closure:
“The Democrats’ War on Coal has threatened to devastate two more communities in Illinois with this announcement that power plants in Baldwin and Newton will be retired. The heartbreaking trend of power plant shutdowns and mine closures across the country is the not merely the result of market forces, but of a deliberate campaign by the environmental left to keep America’s most abundant source of reliable electricity in the ground.
“My thoughts will remain with the workers, families and communities who depend on coal and coal-fired power as I continue to fight to block and repeal the Democrats’ anti-coal policies that are devastating rural America.”
Dynegy Inc recently reported a loss of $10 million on first-quarter revenues of $1.12 billion.