LLP Combustion Turbines Ready to Keep the Lights On

Steve Donkersloot, general manager for Lowell Light & Power, doesn’t want to alarm anyone. He would probably prefer that we didn’t tell you the city is powered by electricity purchased from other power plants and run into town on a single line. It’s not that he’s trying to keep that information secret, but he doesn’t want residents to worry.

However, the reality is that Lowell Light & Power hasn’t produced its own electricity for years, and ratepayers only have power because of that single line. It would take something like a tornado to bring it down, but still, it’s not something the Lowell Light & Power leadership likes to contemplate.

That’s why the utility has been working for more than eight years to create a way for the city to once again generate its own power. After years of work – and a little controversy – the plan has finally come together, and Lowell Light & Power has two working combustion turbines that can generate enough power for all residential customers should the unthinkable happen.

Some Questioned Purchase of Turbines

Lowell Light & Power, under the direction of then general manager Greg Pierce, obtained two used combustion turbines in 2011 and 2012. The move was criticized by some as an expensive folly, particularly since the utility did not have the capability to run the turbines year-round at that time.

However, Donkersloot, who was chief accountant then, defends the decision. “We got a great deal,” he says. Not only was the purchase made at a fraction of the cost for new turbines, but the machinery entitles Lowell Light & Power to capacity credits that offset the cost of purchased power. Donkersloot estimates those credits have resulted in $300,000 in savings that the utility receives regardless of whether the turbines are running.

“It’s not common for a utility this size to take on a project like this,” Donkersloot says. That may have contributed to some people’s skepticism. Certainly, it took years for all the pieces to fall into place. However, with the completion of a gas line and regulator station by Consumers Energy, the turbines are now ready to be run either in an emergency or to supplement the electricity brought into town via purchased power agreements.

Consumers Energy Work Increases Natural Gas Volume

The combustion turbines have been installed in Lowell Light & Power’s Chatham Street facility. They run off natural gas, but until last month, Consumers Energy could not provide enough volume to the east side of the Flat River for them to run consistently.

A $782,000 project was completed last month to run additional lines and add a regulator station which will supply the turbines with the required natural gas. Lowell Light & Power didn’t have to take on any debt to pay the project cost, and almost all the expense is eligible to be rebated back to the utility over a period of seven years. “It’s possible we could have a net zero cost,” Donkersloot says.

With the completion of the work by Consumers Energy, the turbines can be used at any time. “It would take a couple hours to get them up and running,” says Casey Mier, the generation superintendent. But once running, the turbines can provide enough energy to cover 70-80 percent of the utility’s current capacity. That means Lowell Light & Power can keep electricity running to all residential customers even if something catastrophic should happen to the electrical line that brings purchased power into town.

“It’s really a big win for Lowell Light & Power and the entire community,” Donkersloot says. Although not everyone was onboard at first, he hopes all residents and ratepayers can see the benefit of having the combustion turbines now.

Note: The author of this article was a member of the Lowell Light & Power Board from 2012-2013.