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Oct 13, 2009 11:06 pm US/Central
Mpls. Power Plant Now Pumping Cleaner Energy
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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What was once the oldest continuously running coal-burning power plant in the United States is no more. The plant has been completely converted to natural gas.
It was a special celebration at the
Riverside Power Plant in northeast Minneapolis as the whole neighborhood came out for the dedication of a remodeled cleaner plant.
What was once the oldest continuously running coal-burning power plant in the United States is no more. The plant has been completely converted to natural gas.
As part of WCCO-TV's Project Energy, Don Shelby took a tour with the president of Xcel Energy.
For nearly a century, the Riverside plant along the Mississippi River used coal to make electricity. The plant switched over to cleaner-burning natural gas as part of a $1 billion project to protect the environment and create more power at three urban plants.
The main features of the remodel are two huge generators burning natural gas.
"We've got two of these systems going on," explained Xcel president Judy Proferl. "Then we pump the steam over to the old part of the building. And in kind of the ultimate of recycling projects, we kept the old steam generator over there and make electricity on that second cycle."
"So, in effect, you get two bites of apple," said Shelby.
"Absolutely," agreed Proferl. "It's tremendously more efficient than either just burning gas for electricity or burning coal for electricity. You're capturing the waste and making it into more power."
The results have proven better for the environment than expected. The plant has reduced sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and particulates all by nearly 100 percent, according to Proferl. Carbon has been reduced by 40 percent.
"And at the same time we've increased the power output of this plant by 80 megawatts, which is enough to power about 10,000 homes," added Proferl.
The plant's reduction in carbon dioxide is, according to Proferl, the equivalent of taking 600,000 cars off the road.
Original projections predicted payers would face about $3.50 extra per month, though that's been reduced. Customers are now looking at about $2.73 extra.
"That will continue to come down as parts of the plant depreciate," said Proferl, "The $2.73 was really the high water mark on the rate change."
Perhaps the best part of the change will be seen in the neighborhood around the Riverside plant, which will receive no further noisy trains delivering coal, and no more dirty dust. You could call it a token of appreciation for the history of a plant that's been in the neighborhood for a century.
"We want to be a good neighbor," said Proferl, "We need to be a good neighbor. We're a part of the community."
They may be the only plant that has been depicted in a stained glass window, as Riverside is over at Saint Hedwig's Catholic Church.
"I don't know of any other plant that's been depicted in a stained glass window, but we have," said Proferl.
We're already breathing the effects of the cleaner power plants in the Twin Cities. Last week, Minnesota was one of only 10 states in the country which passed the Environmental Protection Agency test for air particulates.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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