08.13.2010
Extreme Energy Home Makeover rules and application available
The Power of Forward Thinking
Laramie River Station
Dependable and low-cost, the Laramie River Station (LRS) has been Heartland's primary source of power and energy for our customers since 1980. A three-unit, 1,702 MW coal-fired generating station located near Wheatland, Wyoming, LRS is one of the most reliable and environmentally-compliant coal-fired resources in the nation.
The MBPP also includes the Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir and nearly 700 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir (pictured at left) is the source of cooling water for LRS. After suffering from a nearly 10 year drought, the reservoir is now 100% full.
The MBPP is owned by a group of six regional, consumer-owned, electric utilities. Heartland owns a 3% undivided ownership share of the MBPP, which entitles Heartland to receive 50 megawatts from LRS. Other partners in MBPP include Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric), Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Missouri River Energy Services, Lincoln Electric System, and Wyoming Municipal Power Agency. Basin Electric was construction manager for the MBPP and has been the operating agent since commercial operation first began in 1980.
In an effort to maintain the viability of MBPP into the future, the project partners have been diligent in maintaining and upgrading the facilities. In 2008 the project upgraded the high and intermediate pressure turbines and rewound the main generator stator winding in LRS Unit 3, in addition to many other smaller projects.
In 2010 LRS performed a spring outage on Unit 2 to replace the original superheater boiler piping and perform maintenance on the generator and high pressure and intermediate pressure turbines (turbine sections pictured at right).
A similar planned outage will be performed on Unit 3 in 2011 and Unit 1 in 2012. Also in the upcoming years LRS partners will continue to upgrade the plant’s pollution controls.
Project Background
LRS was constructed as part of the Missouri Basin Power Project (MBPP). Heartland owns a 3% undivided share of MBPP, which entitles us to 51 MW from LRS.The MBPP also includes the Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir and nearly 700 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir (pictured at left) is the source of cooling water for LRS. After suffering from a nearly 10 year drought, the reservoir is now 100% full.The MBPP is owned by a group of six regional, consumer-owned, electric utilities. Heartland owns a 3% undivided ownership share of the MBPP, which entitles Heartland to receive 50 megawatts from LRS. Other partners in MBPP include Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric), Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Missouri River Energy Services, Lincoln Electric System, and Wyoming Municipal Power Agency. Basin Electric was construction manager for the MBPP and has been the operating agent since commercial operation first began in 1980.
Project Update
In an effort to maintain the viability of MBPP into the future, the project partners have been diligent in maintaining and upgrading the facilities. In 2008 the project upgraded the high and intermediate pressure turbines and rewound the main generator stator winding in LRS Unit 3, in addition to many other smaller projects.In 2010 LRS performed a spring outage on Unit 2 to replace the original superheater boiler piping and perform maintenance on the generator and high pressure and intermediate pressure turbines (turbine sections pictured at right).
A similar planned outage will be performed on Unit 3 in 2011 and Unit 1 in 2012. Also in the upcoming years LRS partners will continue to upgrade the plant’s pollution controls.