Council OKs power plant noise limit increase

The Port Washington Common Council last week agreed to increase the noise limits around the We Energies power plant by 10 decibels, to levels between 53 and 60 decibels, despite objections from several people living around the facility.

“Granted, 60 decibels is not dangerous, but it will be clearly annoying,” Tim Ziolkowski, 136 S. Wisconsin St., said.

Ziolkowski, who said he represented nine property owners in the area, told aldermen the increase will “certainly decrease their property values. It’ll interrupt their quiet enjoyment of their properties.”

But Jerry Meissner, director of We Energies’ power generation group, said the request to increase the decibel level isn’t being sought because of an increase in noise emitted from the facility.

Instead, it reflects an increase in sound around the power plant that is picked up when noise levels around the facility are measured, he said, noting there has been significant development in the area since the plant was upgraded in 2008 and the noise levels set.

“Those (ambient sounds) are the things we’re measuring when we do sound collection,” Meissner said. “We’re not expecting any perceived noise from the plant to change at all.”

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will require baseline testing before and after any major projects at the plant are done, he added.

Bob Harris, the city’s director of planning and development, told aldermen that the city’s new technology zoning district created for the Vantage Data Centers Lighthouse Campus on the north side of Port has a decibel standard of 70, adding that 60 decibels is standard in industrial settings throughout the state.

Noise from the power plant is measured in five areas around the facility, Harris added.

While the neighbors claimed the power plant will be expanding to fuel the data center campus, Meissner told aldermen that the only changes planned are to replace parts of the equipment in the plant that are nearing the end of their life.

“It’s changing the internal components,” he said, a move that will also increase efficiencies at the facility.

The project, Meissner said, will be done in 2027 and 2028.

Ald. Mike Gasper said although the plant is significantly quieter today than it was as a coal-fueled facility, noise studies should be done regularly.

“I have no information other than your word,” he told Meissner. 

Ald. Dan Benning concurred, saying, “We need some data to know if it’s bad or not. I can tell you I think it’s way too loud but without data, we don’t really know.”

But Meissner said that to measure the noise levels as required by the conditional use permit approved in 2008 requires shutting down the plant, something that isn’t practical.

The allowable noise levels are part of a conditional use permit for the power plant, and Gasper noted that the city can revisit the permit annually. 

But if issues spring up, Gasper asked, what can the city do to rectify them?

City Administrator Melissa Gossett said officials would work with We Energies to mitigate any problems that arise.

“We would never let it get to that point,” Jennifer Bognar of We Energies said. “We’ve never had a noise complaint in Port Washington since the plant was changed over (from coal to natural gas).”