Interviews with Geologist Tom Hooyer, WE Energies representative Brian Manthey, and Oak Creek Fire Chief Tom Rosandich at Oak Creek WE Energies (Wisconsin Energy Corporation) power complex.
A section of a bluff or cliff gave way at the Oak Creek, Wisconsin power plant Monday about 11:15 a.m., creating a mudslide that sent several storage trailers, a storage building, equipment, and a pickup truck into Lake Michigan. No injuries were reported. The cause of the cliff collapse is under investigation.
The collapse did not affect any energy conversion/electric power production operations.
The collapsed bluff area is roughly the size of a football field and 200 feet above the level of Lake Michigan eroded under unknown circumstances washing a large amount of mud and debris into Lake Michigan. Only about one-quarter inch of rain fell recently.
Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.
Oak Creek Power Plant, also known as South Oak Creek, is a base load, coal- and natural gas-fired, electrical power station located on Lake Michigan in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The plant is located on over 400 acres of land on the border of Milwaukee and Racine counties. As of 2008, the plant was in the process of a billion dollar expansion. In 2009, it was listed as the third largest generating station in Wisconsin with a net summer capacity of 1,135 MW.
Baseload is the minimum amount of power that a utility or power distribution company must make available to its customers, or the amount of power required to meet minimum demands based on reasonable expectations of customer requirements. The base load power is usually 35-40% of the maximum load during the year.