Bay Front Plant

Location: Ashland, Wisconsin, on Lake Superior

Plant Description: Bay Front is a three-unit generating station that has become a model for the creative use of fuels, including renewable resources. Three boilers burn a variety of fuels to produce steam that drives three turbine-generators to produce electricity.

Power Production Capability (in-service dates): 76 megawatts (MW): Unit 4 – 23 MW (1948); Unit 5 – 23 MW (1950); Unit 6 – 30 MW (1956).

Fuel Sources: Coal, waste wood, railroad ties, discarded tires, natural gas and petroleum coke.

Plant History: Bay Front got its start in 1916, when Ashland Light & Power and the Street Railway Company established the plant using small second-hand boilers and generators. When the two founding companies consolidated into Lake Superior District Power (LSDP) in May 1922, a second unit was added. A third came on line in 1925, and by 1960 the plant was equipped with five boilers and six turbine generators. Bay Front was acquired in 1983 by Northern States Power Company-Wisconsin as a result of a merger with LSDP.

Bay Front’s three original generating units and two boilers have been retired, but improvements over the past 20 years have enabled the plant to burn lowcost fuels such as wood and discarded tires while dramatically increasing its energy output and run time. Bay Front was the first investor-owned utility operation in the nation to burn wood waste to generate electricity.

Interesting Features: Bay Front’s boilers and turbine-generators are cross-connected so one boiler can power any unit.

Because of its northern location, Bay Front runs not only to generate megawatts, but also to support the stability of Xcel Energy’s transmission system.

In 1999, the plant was equipped with auxiliary gas burners to improve operating efficiency while firing on wood.

Environmental Highlights: Since 1979, Bay Front has burned almost 4 million tons of waste wood and railroad ties, as well as other alternate fuels such as used tires.

During a major plant improvement project completed in 1991, Bay Front was equipped with an upgraded air quality control system, which includes two gravel bed filters. The gravel bed filters are designed to remove more than 98 percent of particulate matter. The system contains more than 300 tons of gravel bits, which are electrically charged to collect particulate from flue gas.

Community Involvement: Bay Front employs 35 people full time. Many employees volunteer in local community organizations and some serve on town boards.

Contact Information:

• Plant Information and Tour Requests — 1-800-895-4999
• Media Inquiries — 715-839-2565