Why This Site

New power generation needs three things: land, a connection to the grid, and transmission to move the power. Assembling them from scratch takes years. The Kincaid plant site already has the land and the transmission, and an established point of interconnection to build from.
The Kincaid Power Plant has occupied this property in Christian County for decades. The site carries established transmission equipment connecting it to the regional grid, and the plant continues to operate on coal today.
Placing new generation on ground like this reuses infrastructure that already exists instead of building it somewhere else from nothing.
The Kincaid plant site, Christian County, Illinois.

What Is Under Consideration

TechnologySolarUtility-scale solar generation.
Capacity under evaluation20MWSolar capacity being evaluated for the site.
CountyChristianChristian County, Illinois.
Project scope changes as development work proceeds, and no decision to construct has been made. Any project at the Kincaid site would depend on market conditions, permitting, interconnection and other approvals.

What a Project Here Would Mean

Building a project at the Kincaid site would deliver a one-time economic stimulus to Christian County — capital investment at the site, wages for local trades, and spending through the local supply chain.
The figures below are what that was modeled to produce.
Capital investment$63MModeled investment at the plant site.
During construction88Jobs supported in Christian County over the construction period.
Local earnings$6.8MEarnings for local workers during construction.
Local economic output$9.9MAdded economic activity in the county during construction.
Economic impact figures were modeled for Vistra by Dr. David G. Loomis, Strategic Economic Research, LLC.

This Has Been Done Four Times in Illinois So Far

Kincaid is a proposal. The approach and the company behind it are not.
Baldwin68 MW of solar with energy storage in Randolph County, operating since 2024.
Newton52 MW of solar with energy storage in Jasper County, operating.
Coffeen44 MW of solar with energy storage in Montgomery County, operating.
Pulaski405 MW of solar in Pulaski County, complete and generating.
Vistra’s recent investments of more than $1 billion have added 570 MW of generation and 6 MW / 24 MWh of battery storage across Illinois.

Kincaid Site at a Glance

Location199 IL-104, Kincaid, IL 62540
CountyChristian County, Illinois
Coal plant statusOperating on coal
Coal plant retirementYear-end 2027 — September 2020 announcement
Identified opportunityUtility-scale solar
Capacity under evaluation20 MW
InterconnectionExisting plant interconnection and transmission

Questions About the Kincaid Site

The Kincaid Power Plant continues to operate on coal. Vistra announced a preliminary retirement date of year-end 2027 for Kincaid in its September 2020 announcement. Retirement timing depends on market, economic and regulatory conditions, and preliminary dates announced in 2020 have since changed at other Illinois sites — those changes are recorded on the Illinois Timeline.

No. A utility-scale solar project has been under development for the site, but no decision to construct has been made. Energy projects of this size take years of diligence, engineering, permitting and interconnection work before anyone breaks ground.

Yes. The Kincaid Power Plant continues to operate on coal.

Because a retired plant site does not start from zero. New generation needs land, a connection to the grid and transmission to carry the power away, and assembling those three from scratch can take the better part of a decade. The Kincaid plant site has the land and the transmission, and a project there would reuse some of the transmission and interconnection assets already in place. New substation work and, in almost all cases, a new point of interconnection are still required.

Yes, four times. Baldwin, Newton and Coffeen pair utility-scale solar with energy storage on existing plant property and are operating today. Pulaski Solar, a 405 MW facility in southern Illinois, reached commercial operation ahead of schedule.

Modeling for a redevelopment project at the Kincaid site estimated 88 jobs supported in Christian County during construction, $6.8 million in earnings for local workers and $9.9 million in added local economic output.