ESCANABA (AP) – A coal-fired power plant that produced electricity for the Escanaba area closed Monday, the result of market conditions and energy needs in the Upper Peninsula.

The Daily Press says customers won’t notice a difference. Escanaba’s city-owned utility has been buying power from another source because it costs less than making electricity from coal.

The generating station has been down since an explosion at a substation in February. Before the explosion, it had been operating only about 10 percent of the time.

Assistant Plant Superintendent Charles Detiege says it’s “very sad” to see the plant closed. He hopes it can reopen with a new owner.

Escanaba has been talking to Sterling Energy, a Gary, Ind., company, about converting it to make electricity from other sources.