Explosives to bring down Dairyland Power smoke stack in Genoa, shutting down Highway 35

GENOA, Wis. — Highway 35 around the decommissioned Dairyland Power plant in Genoa will be closed Tuesday, when the smoke stack will be demolished.

Explosive charges will bring down the 500-foot tall smoke stack on the main building, beginning around 10 a.m. The highway will close at 9:30 a.m., as well as traffic on the the Mississippi River for a brief time.

Back in October, other parts of the plant were brought down with explosives.

The plant was closed in June of 2021 after 52 years. The nuclear plant there shut down in 1987.

This decommission is part of of Dairyland’s move from coal to natural gas and renewable energy sources.