Rawhide Unit 1


Rawhide Unit 1

Fuel type: coal
Net capacity: 280 MW
Commercial operation: 1984
Operations: baseload

Operations


  • Platte River’s largest single source of system capacity at 280 net megawatts
  • Used for baseload energy needs
  • Provides approximately half of Platte River’s annual delivered energy
  • One of the highest-performing coal units in the U.S., averaging 97.28% equivalent availability and 85.08% capacity factor (as of May 31, 2020)
  • Reliable fuel supply with close proximity to Powder River Basin coal reserves
  • Will be removed from Platte River's energy mix by Dec. 31, 2029

Financials


  • Platte River’s lowest operating cost generating resource
  • Original debt retired in 2018
  • Long-term rail and fuel contracts
  • Fuel cost volatility mitigated through flexibility of existing contracts

Environmental


  • Uses state-of-the-art air quality control technology to reduce emissions
  • Maintains full compliance with strict environmental laws and regulations
  • Healthy bison and waterfowl habitats at Rawhide demonstrate the ability for nature and industry to share space
  • Water-efficient design utilizes reclaimed water from a domestic wastewater treatment plant
  • No discharge of industrial wastewater from the facility due to beneficial reuse of all process water

Rawhide units A, B, C and D


Rawhide units

Fuel type: natural gas
Net capacity: 65 MW per unit; 260 MW total
Commercial operation: units A-C—2002; Unit D—2004

Operations


  • Simple-cycle gas turbine
  • Each unit operates at a heat rate of approximately 13,400 Btu/kWh heat rate
  • Used primarily at times of high system demand, and operates at an annual average capacity factor of less than 1%
  • All units have fast-start capability to respond to critical system needs

Financials


  • Debt retired in 2018
  • Pipeline access to regional market hub to provide source flexibility and price risk mitigation

Environmental


  • Equipped with enhanced combustion system to reduce air emissions
  • Maintains full compliance with strict environmental laws and regulations
  • Emissions per MWh are lower than coal, including all criteria pollutants and CO2

Rawhide Unit F


Rawhide Unit F

Fuel type: natural gas
Net capacity: 128 MW
Commercial operation: 2008

Operations


  • Simple-cycle gas turbine
  • Most efficient of Platte River’s gas turbines with a 11,500 Btu/kWh heat rate
  • Used primarily at times of high system demand
  • Most utilized peaking resource at 128 net MW
  • Averages approximately 2.5% capacity factor on an annual basis

Financials


  • No debt service
  • Pipeline access to regional market hub to provide source flexibility and price risk mitigation

Environmental


  • Equipped with enhanced combustion system to reduce air emissions
  • Maintains full compliance with strict environmental laws and regulations
  • Emissions per MWh are lower than coal, including all criteria pollutants and CO2

Rawhide Flats Solar


Rawhide Flats Solar

Fuel type: solar photovoltaic
Net capacity: 30 MW
Commercial operation: 2016

Operations


  • Facility covers approximately 185 acres, approximately the same amount of land occupied by Rawhide Unit 1 operations
  • Total of 117,120 photovoltaic panels
  • Single-axis tracking system
  • Generates power for approximately 7,000 homes each year
  • Facility produces 64,000 megawatt-hours per year or approximately 2% of the owner communities’ annual energy needs
  • Annual output equal to approximately 10,000 residential rooftop solar installations

Financials


  • Power purchase agreement runs through 2036
  • Fixed price contract
  • Platte River receives full energy output of project
  • Right to own facility in the future

Environmental


  • Renewable resource of energy
  • Zero air emissions
  • Estimated lifespan of 30+ years
  • No new transmission required
  • Located at an existing industrial facility, no new real estate (acquisition) needed for installation

Rawhide Prairie Solar


New solar installation

Fuel type: solar photovoltaic
Net capacity: 22 MW
Commercial operation: 2021

Operations


  • Facility will cover approximately 150 acres
  • TBA silicon photovoltaic panels
  • Single-axis tracking system
  • Battery stores up to 2 megawatt hours of solar energy and discharge at a rate of 1 megawatt when the sun isn't shining

Energy production


  • Power purchased from DEPCOM Power
  • Platte River receives full energy output of project
  • Generates power for approximately 6,000 homes per year

Environmental


  • Renewable resource of energy
  • Zero air emissions
  • Estimated lifespan of 30+ years
  • No new transmission required
  • Located at an existing industrial facility, no new real estate (acquisition) needed for installation