The company will negotiate the workforce impacts with the union and its goal is to provide other job opportunities for employees at NIPSCO, Sistovaris said.

USW Local 12775 President Vernon Beck said he was surprised when told Tuesday morning Bailly would be closed five years earlier than the union had been told previously and that two units at Schahfer were now included in the plan.

He said environmental groups would undoubtedly be happy at the closures of the coal fired plants “but you have people tied into those jobs that make good money which helps our economy.” He is hopeful that employees impacted can move into vacancies at the utility or take the place of people retiring.

Much of the plan may depend on what happens with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, some of which are currently being contested in the courts, Beck said.

Changes could power cost shift

In total, the plan to close Bailly’s coal-fired units and two at Schahfer would take about 31 percent of NIPSCO’s electric generating capacity offline.