CPS Energy’s J.K. Spruce coal power plant released "seven million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, making it the 42nd-worst climate polluter in the country," according to a study published by the Frontier Group.

The divestment from coal-fired power has been a longtime goal of climate activists, but the victory has been tempered by the planned, continued reliance on natural gas for power generation.

Vistra Corp., had already shuttered four Illinois plants in Canton, Coffeen, Havana and Hennepin and agreed to close another near Peoria in a legal settlement with environmental groups. But the company based in Irving, Texas, announced recently that it plans to close its four remaining Illinois coal plants within a decade, including Baldwin Power Plant in Randolph County. It'll also close two Ohio plants. Roughly 15% of the electricity generated in Illinois last year came from Vistra coal plants. But The Chicago Tribune cites federal records that show the company’s fleet was responsible for nearly half the carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emitted in 2019 by Illinois’ power plants.