RMI Outlet
Plug Into New Ideas
Transition Opportunities for Prairie State Energy Campus
Replacing Prairie State Energy Campus with renewable energy and energy efficiency will save money for both customers and plant owners.
The Carbon Emissions Impact of Demand Flexibility
This report provides context for the potential impact of using time-of-use emission factors to reduce emissions associated with electricity use in buildings.
RMI’s US Federal Climate Policy Imperatives
This policy memo series focuses on federal government action that can move the United States closer to limiting warming to 1.5° Celsius, build a sustainable economy, and create lasting, quality jobs.
Zero-Carbon Targeted Integrated Energy Planning
A Rocky Mountain Institute report on an innovative district-level pathway to support carbon neutrality in China by 2060.
Mobilizing Finance for EVs in India
India's transition to electric vehicles (EVs) has advanced rapidly in the past few years. A supportive policy environment, improving economics, and emerging business models have poised the EV market for significant growth in the coming decade.
The 1,600 MW Prairie State Energy Campus (PSEC) is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in Illinois. It is also less than 10 years old, making it one of the newest coal plants in the country.
Using publicly available information, RMI evaluated historic economics of PSEC and analyzed future scenarios to determine how continued PSEC operations will compare to market and clean energy solutions in 2029.
The analysis finds that over the past four years, the plant cost $20 million more per year to operate than short-term market energy and capacity purchases. When the cost of servicing PSEC’s debt is considered, the plant cost an average of between $390 million and $470 million more than buying from the market.
The report analyzed future plant economics compared with market and clean energy alternatives and concluded that plant net economics are likely to deteriorate prior to 2030.
The RMI analysis suggests that at the very least, 2030 closure of PSEC (as has been proposed in the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Act) will not result in any significant rate increases to PSEC owners. In fact, 2030-mandated closure may help extricate the many plant owners from an asset which is currently expensive and may become highly uneconomic in the coming years.