Kenosha News: Red Oak Ridge could be coming to Kenosha County

The Kenosha News reported on the benefits of Red Oak Ridge for Kenosha County, including reliable power, new jobs, and steady local revenue. In an interview, the developer shared that the project would run during times of peak demand to meet "explosive growth" along the I-94 corridor.

Read excerpts below or see the full article in the Kenosha News.

"A proposed natural gas facility capable of powering more than 190,000 households per year could be coming to Kenosha County. A 1.1 gigawatt natural gas project called the Red Oak Ridge Energy Center has been proposed by Chicago-based Invenergy.

Daniel Birmingham, a lead developer at Invenergy, said if built the facility would help keep the electric grid “reliable and affordable” as energy demand grows in the Kenosha-Racine corridor. He said the proposed Red Oak Ridge Center would act as a “peaker” facility, which would run at times of peak electric demand alongside existing power grids.

[...]

Some state and local leaders have submitted public comments in support of the project, including International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 President Terrance McGowan, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Director of Environmental and Energy Policy Adam Jordahl, and Somers Village President George Stoner.

In a public comment, McGowan said the local union supports Invenergy’s natural gas project as a complement to other renewable energy facilities in the state. He noted that wind and solar projects can be adversely impacted by ice and snow during winter months.

“While technology is improving, if we want to close aging coal plants soon, Wisconsin needs electric generation sources that can complement the peaks and valleys of renewable energy as the technology exists today,” McGowan stated.

[...]

Birmingham says the Red Oak Ridge plan is being developed as electric grid operators “raise the alarm” on increased energy demand in the Kenosha-Racine corridor.

The area has seen explosive growth along I-94 as warehousing and other companies have expanded their footprint and as Microsoft eyes new data center facilities in Mount Pleasant and northwest Kenosha County.

“It’s necessary to keep the grid operating reliably and affordably and to continue to support residences and businesses that want to operate in southeast Wisconsin," he said.

Invenergy is providing additional opportunities for the public to comment on the project. He said the company has hosted open houses, sent out mailers to local residents, and hosts drop-in office hours from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of every month at the Johnson Bank Building at 7500 Green Bay Road.

“We take our commitment to the communities where we build our projects very seriously,” Birmingham said."