Dairyland has acquired the RockGen Energy Center, a 503 megawatt (MW) natural gas power plant located in Cambridge, Wis.

Dairyland announced its intention in August 2021 to acquire the facility from an affiliate of Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC (“Starwood Energy”). The purchase agreement was finalized on December 15.

“RockGen will help meet our members’ power supply needs as we transition to more renewable resources,” said Brent Ridge, President and CEO. “Safely delivering reliable and sustainable electricity to our members is critical as we continue to diversify Dairyland’s energy portfolio and lower carbon intensity. With the closing of our coal-fired Genoa Station #3 this year, the availability of this existing, low-cost and reliable facility in Wisconsin is both timely and a good strategic fit for our power supply portfolio.”

Operational since 2001, the RockGen Energy Center is a simple-cycle, dual fuel power generating facility that operates mainly on natural gas. The three 168 MW low-NOx combustion turbines (CTs) can ramp up and down quickly to support intermittent solar and wind resources. In 2020, re-commissioning was completed to allow operation on fuel oil as a backup fuel source. This fuel flexibility enhances reliability in the region when or if the natural gas supply is limited.

Click here to learn more about RockGen and Dairyland Power's other generation resources.