Consumer advocates praise deal to refinance debt on shuttered coal plant in southeastern Wisconsin

Consumer advocates are cheering a decision by Wisconsin utility regulators to approve a novel refinancing plan for a retired coal plant that is expected to save millions of dollars for customers of the state’s largest utility.

The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to allow We Energies to issue bonds for $100 million of its investment in pollution controls at the Pleasant Prairie plant, which shut down in 2018.
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Ken Notes: Read this to get a feel for the economics involved. And thanks to the regulators to get this debt secured. Also a note to those suing over relaxed standards at coal plants -- If the controls cost millions and the company want to CLOSE the plant adding the controls now may nit be in our best long term interest. Broker deals to get the coal plants offline rather than requiring investments that will only serve to keep them online...