MADISON, Wis. -- State officials agreed on Monday to cut pollution at a Madison power plant to settle a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club.

The agreement also requires the state to look for ways to reduce emissions at a dozen other plants throughout Wisconsin.

Sierra Club lawyer Bruce Nilles said that the settlement will make Wisconsin a leader in reducing its reliance on dirty-burning coal and increasing its use of renewable energy.

The deal comes weeks after a federal judge ruled the Madison plant has been operating in violation of the federal Clean Air Act for five years. The plant powers the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The settlement requires the state to immediately reduce coal use at the plant by 15 percent, or about 20,000 tons of coal per year. By next November, the state will have to begin installing modern pollution controls or planning for a replacement.