Company to close three Illinois power plants in coming years
Company to close three Illinois power plants in coming years
Meet Journal Star general assignment reporter Mike Kramer
General assignment reporter Mike Kramer writes on a variety of topics throughout central Illinois.
A power company plans to shut down three Illinois facilities in the coming years.
Vistra Corp. intends to close power plants in Baldwin, Kincaid and Newton, according to notices sent to the state of Illinois. The closures are expected to affect 304 employees, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The company cited economic, environmental and regulatory factors as the cause of the plant closures and permanent layoffs.
Vistra plans to lay off 83 workers from the Newton plant in October 2027; 99 employees at the Kincaid site in January 2028; and 122 employees in Baldwin in February 2028, according to notices sent to the state May 4 in accordance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
“Both Baldwin and Kincaid continue to operate today and generate power for Illinois,” Vistra spokesperson Jenny Lyon said. “In addition, the Baldwin Solar Facility, which sits on the coal plant property and came online in 2024, will continue operating after the retirement of the Baldwin Power Plant. As we move through the retirement process, Vistra will continue to keep employees and community stakeholders informed of developments and future plans.”
Vistra is a company with 7,000 employees providing its services across the country, according to its website.