Soot to Solar

The Wood River Power Station in East Alton, Illinois, retired in 2016, leaving behind hazardous coal ash ponds that pose risks to groundwater and human life. Despite these dangers, the site's existing utility infrastructure makes it a viable candidate for a 46 megawatt solar farm and 10 megawatts of storage, which could support local economic development and leverage the Future Energy Jobs Act.

• The Wood River Power Station retired in 2016 after its owner, Dynegy-Vistra, determined it was no longer cost-effective, with the closure occurring less than nine months after the announcement.
• The retired site poses significant safety and environmental risks due to five coal ash storage ponds; the US EPA rated these as having a high probability of causing substantial economic loss or loss of life if the dams fail, and two ponds lack liners to prevent toxins from entering groundwater.
• While Dynegy-Vistra is legally required to clean up the ash ponds, the company has indicated it has no formal plans for their removal or closure in place.
• The site is identified as a potential location for a 46 megawatt solar farm and 10 megawatts of storage, utilizing existing utility infrastructure for grid interconnection and potentially accessing financial support via the Future Energy Jobs Act.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). Soot to Solar. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/10/Wood-River-Case-Study.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Soot to Solar. 2018. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/10/Wood-River-Case-Study.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Soot to Solar |date=October 2018 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/10/Wood-River-Case-Study.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018soot, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Soot to Solar}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/10/Wood-River-Case-Study.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }