A recent report published by the Climate Solutions for Health Lab and the Climate Action Lab analyzed the potential air quality and health effects resulting from the operation of two newly proposed natural gas-fired power plants in southeast Wisconsin. Led by postdoctoral research associate Nick Mailloux PhD’24 (environment and resources), the study used publicly available data to determine annual emissions, air pollution exposure, premature deaths, and cost of air quality damages.
The proposed power plants are the Foundry Ridge Energy Center in Kenosha County and the Red Oak Ridge Energy Center in Walworth County — joining the 29 existing natural gas power plants in Wisconsin. At 1,186 megawatts, Red Oak Ridge would become the second-largest natural gas power plant by electricity generation capacity in Wisconsin, and Foundry Ridge, at 324 megawatts, would rank 12th.
Together, the two plants would emit as much or more fine particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) each year as all commercial and institutional fuel combustion sources combined in Kenosha and Walworth counties. Pollution from the facilities would raise PM2.5 exposure across the Upper Midwest and much of the eastern United States, with the greatest impacts in southeastern Wisconsin, western Michigan, and the Chicago area.
The added PM2.5 pollution is projected to contribute to four excess premature deaths in the first year of operation and an estimated 118 excess premature deaths over their 30-year lifetimes. Additionally, the health impacts from PM2.5 exposure would translate to about $44.4 million in nationwide air quality damages in the first year alone. Over 30 years, total damages could reach $1.38 billion, including approximately $486 million in damages occurring in Wisconsin.
