by Kevin Zimmermann
SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) – The closure of the Edgewater Generating Station by the end of 2022, announced last month, will mean the loss of $1.2 million in Utility Aid payments to the City of Sheboygan, according to Mayor Mike Vandersteen.
The state formula for Utility Aid Payments is tied to the megawatt production of each turbine at a generating station. When Edgewater Units 3 and 4 were retired last year, over a half-million dollar loss was imposed, and when unit 5 is retired in 2 years, the current payment will be reduced by 20% per year for each of the next 5 years. Mayor Vandersteen says that Sheboygan will need to adjust the city budget in order to absorb the loss.
As for the future of the site, Alliant Energy has engaged Vandewalle & Associates for site redevelopment over the following several years. Vandewalle has already worked on the Harbor Centre Marina, South Pier District and FreshTech projects in Sheboygan, and will be getting input from the community in developing plans for the lakefront site.
