Charter heating plant to burn biomass, discontinue coal use

University of Wisconsin-Madison - The Daily Cardinal
By: Britney Tripp /The Daily Cardinal - February 9, 2009

The Charter Street coal plant, notorious for its high emissions, will burn biomass instead of coal by 2012, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Friday. This decision will significantly reduce pollutant emissions in Wisconsin.

Gov. Jim Doyle announced Friday the Charter Street Heating Plant will switch from burning coal to biomass, a significant step toward reducing emissions in Dane County and the state. UW-Madison operates the Charter Street plant, which was found in 2007 to have violated the Clean Air Act limits on emissions.

A new boiler will burn up to 100 percent biomass, including wood chips and switchgrass pellets, and will be backed up by natural gas. The boiler is expected to be ready in 2012 and will provide heating and cooling for the UW-Madison campus, according to a statement from Doyle.

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