A coal-fired power plant in Rochester will be decommissioned but it is not expected to impact Winona's commercial harbor where coal shipments are brought in.

The Rochester Public Utilities Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to retire the Silver Lake power plant by 2015. Board spokesman Tony Benson says it's no longer cost effective to keep the plant open and to do substantial upgrades to meet federal requirements affecting coal-fired plants.
 
The Silver Lake 100-megawatt plant was built in 1949 and was historically the city's largest energy producer. It provides steam to Mayo Clinic and energy to the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency. The Post-Bulletin reports utility board president Jerry Williams says closing the plant is the right economic decision.

Winona Community Development Director Lucy McMartin said the Winona commercial harbor has seen a reduction in coal shipments over the past five years. She said many years ago coal from the local harbor was shipped to the Rochester plant but no longer.....