At two public hearings held last week, residents overwhelmingly opposed a proposed natural gas plant in Kenosha County.
Chicago-based developer Invenergy has proposed an approximately 1.2 gigawatt natural gas power plant for the town of Paris. The project, known as the Red Oak Ridge Energy Center, is currently going through the approval process with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
Red Oak Ridge will be the second-largest of Wisconsin’s 29 existing natural gas power plants, according to a report by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Invenergy said the plant is intended to meet Wisconsin’s growing electricity demand and is not expected to operate continuously.
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The majority of residents who attended the public hearing opposed the plan, raising concerns about industrial development in rural areas and its negative impact on health and the environment. Many speakers also argued that the power plant is being built primarily to support data centers’ growing power needs.
Kaylee Zarbowski, a Paris resident, said her son has asthma and was worried that the project would negatively affect his health. She also said she would like to see the community maintain its rural character.
“Stand up for your families, your farmers, your livestock, your wildlife, and the generations who have dedicated their lives here,” she said. “Don’t ask us to sacrifice our health, quality of life, and community for projects that benefit others while burdening the people who call this place home.”
The backlash comes after a recent draft report from the Public Service Commission revealed that Wisconsin’s electricity demand could increase by more than 40 percent by 2032, and that rapid growth could be driven by hyperscale data centers.
We Energies serves data center developments in Port Washington and Mount Pleasant, and plans to acquire the Red Oak Ridge project.
Acquisition and construction of the plant will cost about $1.77 billion, according to documents filed with state regulators.
Daniel Birmingham, developer of Invenergy’s Red Oak Ridge Energy Center, said in a statement that the plant “will help stabilize costs and meet electricity demand during peak demand periods.”
“It will also directly invest in the local economy through good-paying jobs, bringing up to $2.4 million in new revenue to the town and county each year,” Birmingham said.
But Paris Town Board Chairman John Holloway said town residents attended recent town board meetings and shared their concerns about the nuclear power plant.
He said most of the residents who spoke out were uncomfortable with the country’s decision-making process and questioned who would benefit from the new power plant. The town already has a solar power plant and a peaker power plant.
“The city of Paris already has a huge burden of energy generation,” he says. “And residents are asking, ‘Why do we keep increasing the amount of electricity generated in our town?'”
Paris resident Tina Brewer said her town’s residents didn’t have enough say in “whether or not they want this kind of industrial development.” She said residents, not businesses, should decide the town’s future.
“What’s happening here is like the Wild West, with big companies racing to see how fast they can squeeze this big project into their communities before residents fully understand the consequences,” she said. “This project was not built to benefit our families, schools, farms, or communities. The electricity produced by this methane plant is intended to power energy-intensive data centers.”
However, not all residents opposed the plan.
Mike Cabarenes, a resident of Paris, agreed. He said industry was growing near the priority project site, making it a good location.
“They just picked an area along a side road,” he says. “There are two warehouses behind it. Water is available. It’s Lake Michigan water. There’s a power line a little ways away, and there’s a gas facility there. Whoever did this knew what they were looking for.”
George Stoner, village chairman of the nearby village of Somers, said in written testimony to the PSC that he supports the project. If approved, Somers Village will provide water service.
He said he believes part of the proposed project location is within the Somers Village growth area and is appropriate.
“We welcome this investment in our community,” he wrote. “The existence of reliable, readily available energy sources supports the growing energy demand needed for new housing and economic development opportunities.”
Residents and local leaders, as well as environmentalists, voiced opposition to the plant, raising concerns that natural gas would lead to climate change and negative health effects. Meanwhile, Labor leaders spoke out in support of the project and the construction jobs it would bring.
Invenergy hopes to begin construction by October and have the factory operational by June 30, 2030, according to the PSC.
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