FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Platte River Power Authority's Rawhide Energy Station continues to post impressive operating statistics. For the year 2004 operating data, Rawhide is ranked second in the nation among coal-fired power plants for productivity as measured by capacity factor1.
Capacity factor is the ratio of the amount of energy Rawhide produces during a period of time, to the plant's maximum potential production during that same period. For 2004, Rawhide's capacity factor was 95.75 percent. Rated at 270 megawatts, the plant produces enough electricity to power approximately 280,000 homes.
"The decisions made by local, regional, and state agencies, the Colorado voters and Platte River's Board of Directors over 25 years ago about how Rawhide would operate are bearing fruit," said Brian Moeck, Platte River's general manager. "Our owner communities have come to depend on the reliability, low-cost and environmental responsibility precepts Platte River adheres to."
Rawhide continues to be among the lowest sulphur dioxide-emitting coal-fired power plants in the United States. The Craig Station, located near Craig, Colo., also became one of the cleanest plants due to the installation of new environmental controls. Platte River owns 18 percent of Craig Units 1 and 2.
"Platte River just spent over six weeks and $23 million on equipment to maintain and even improve Rawhide's reliability and to install improved environmental controls," said Jason Frisbie, division manager of power production at Rawhide. " We are proud of Rawhide's operating records and the consistency with which it makes this survey each year."
The environmental focus of the recent Rawhide maintenance project fulfills the second part of the Voluntary Emissions Reduction Agreement (VERA) Platte River signed with the State of Colorado in 2002. Data is being collected to calculate the actual percentage of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The voluntary reduction is expected to be about 35 percent.
Platte River Power Authority generates reliable, low-cost and environmentally responsible electricity used by its owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland since 1973.
1-Electric Light & Power, November, 2002, 2003 and November 2004, Industry Report