2026-10-20
- It is reported that We Energies plans a new 750 MW gas-fired Fox North Energy Center next to the existing 619 MW Fox Energy Center in Wrightstown, Wisconsin.
- According to the report, construction would not begin before 2029, and commercial operation is targeted for late 2032 if regulatory approvals are received.
- The turbine model and the construction cost have not been disclosed, and it is not known whether the plant would serve a data center.
- A draft Public Service Commission of Wisconsin assessment reportedly projects peak demand rising from about 14.2 GW to more than 20 GW by 2032.
According to POWER, We Energies, a Wisconsin utility, unveiled on October 13, 2026 a plan for a new 750 MW natural gas-fired plant, the Fox North Energy Center, next to the existing Fox Energy Center in Wrightstown. It is reported that the company filed an engineering plan with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) in early October, that construction would not start before 2029, and that commercial operation is targeted for late 2032 if the necessary regulatory approvals are received. The turbine model and the construction cost have not been disclosed.
The Fox North Energy Center is a planned 750 MW natural gas-fired power plant proposed by We Energies. According to the report, the site is adjacent to the existing Fox Energy Center in the village of Wrightstown in Wisconsin’s Fox Valley region. The plan was reported by the trade publication POWER on October 13, 2026, in an article by senior editor Darrell Proctor.
It is reported that We Energies filed an engineering plan with the state regulator, the PSC of Wisconsin, in early October. Company spokesperson Brendan Conway reportedly described the filing as the first step in the review process and said more details would come through regulatory filings in the coming months. He is said to have stated that the plant would improve grid reliability and support Wisconsin’s growing electricity needs.
On the plant type, Ciaran Gallagher, energy and air manager at the environmental group Clean Wisconsin, described the proposal as a 750 MW combined cycle power plant designed to run continuously. The turbine manufacturer, model and number of units have not been disclosed. The engineering plan reportedly contained no construction cost estimate, and We Energies declined to give a construction cost to Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR). It has also not said whether the plant would serve a data center.
Numbers
The new capacity is 750 MW. The adjacent Fox Energy Center is a 619 MW gas-fired plant that has been in service since 2005. If the new plant is completed as planned, gas-fired capacity at the two facilities would total 1,369 MW by simple addition. According to Wisconsin Public Service, the existing plant consists of two General Electric combustion turbine generators (198.9 MW each) and one steam unit (221 MW), for a total nameplate rating of 618.8 MW.
On schedule, construction is reported to begin no earlier than 2029, with commercial operation targeted for late 2032. Because no construction cost has been disclosed, the investment size is not known.
On demand, a draft Strategic Energy Assessment from the PSC of Wisconsin reportedly projects statewide peak demand rising from about 14.2 GW this year to more than 20 GW by 2032, an increase of more than 40%. About 72% of that increase is said to be tied to three large data center developments planned in the state. The draft was reportedly released in July. Of the three, We Energies serves Microsoft (Mount Pleasant) and Oracle (Port Washington), while Alliant Energy serves Meta (Beaver Dam). The draft reportedly lists utility plans for 5.4 GW of new gas plants or upgrades to existing gas plants, and projects coal falling to about 3% of generation and natural gas rising to about 50% by 2032.
Environmental groups count Fox North as the seventh new gas plant proposal in Wisconsin in roughly two years.
Timeline
- 2002-11 — Construction of the Fox Energy Center begins (per Wisconsin Public Service)
- 2005 — Fox Energy Center enters commercial operation (Unit 2 and the steam unit listed as June 2005, Unit 1 as June 2006)
- 2013-03-28 — Wisconsin Public Service buys the entire Fox Energy Center for a total of $440 million
- 2026-07 — PSC of Wisconsin releases its draft Strategic Energy Assessment
- 2026-10 (early) — We Energies files the Fox North engineering plan with the PSC of Wisconsin
- 2026-10-13 — POWER reports the Fox North Energy Center plan
- 2029 — Planned construction start (not before this year)
- Late 2032 — Commercial operation target, subject to regulatory approval
Note
Combined cycle refers to a configuration in which exhaust heat from gas turbines generates steam to drive an additional steam turbine, raising efficiency. The Strategic Energy Assessment is a report in which the PSC of Wisconsin reviews statewide electricity demand and supply plans; it is currently in draft form.