Time Line Laid Out for Lamar Repowering Project Demolition

Repowering Project Coal Domes

The Lamar Utility Board was briefed on the pending demolition of the Lamar Repowering Project by Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, during it’s November 24^th meeting. He also projected a timeline for the lawsuit the board has had pending with Southeast Colorado Power Association.

South Plant Scheduled for Demolition

In a special conference call meeting, the ARPA board approved Burns & McDonnell’s (EPC) engineering procurement contract, to demolish the south side of the Lamar Repowering Project. Hourieh told the board some mobilization will be seen the week following Thanksgiving on the south side of the light plant. This will include demolition of the conveyer which spans Maple Street as well as the boiler, steam turbine generator building, baghouse and air cooler condenser.   The large scaffolding structure which abuts Maple Street will also be taken away. The project has no specific deadline, but Hourieh said he expects it to be finished by June/July of 2021.

Conveyer Spanning Maple Street

The superintendent said the board’s PUC hearing in the matter of Southeast Colorado Power Association, has been rescheduled to January 25th and 26th by Zoom. This coincides with a scheduled board meeting which will either be rescheduled or cancelled. He said legal arguments will be presented on February 10th where factual evidence will be summarized along with legal arguments about the meaning of substantial change in the nature of ‘service’ as stated in a PUC order from 1970. He said each side will be allowed appeal to the judge following initial findings and expects the entire legal process to continue until at least mid-June of 2021.

The Lamar Utility Board moved to approve bills totaling $726,866.99 from the total purchase orders amounting to $751,340.06 during its November 24^th meeting. Of that, the estimate for ARPA electricity was $645,959.80. The board also approved payment of bills totaling $962,398.55.

In other financially related action, the board approved Resolution 20-11-04 setting the interest rate paid on utility deposits at 0.74% for 2021. This is an annual housekeeping event regulated by the Public Utilities Commission. Hourieh noted that for 2020, it was 2.33% which is about a 50% decrease.

The November 2020 financial report noted that cash is up $327,538 from September and accounts receivable decreased by $364,641. Total operating revenue for the month is $1,100,946 and operating costs are $857,654 for $243,292 in gross operating income. The net income for the month is $49,663.

When compared to 2019 retail revenues are up 2% or $204,813 in comparison to 2020 and overall operating expenses are up 1% or $111,644 resulting in a new YTD loss of $279,950.

The board approved $16,263 to replace stock inventory of ACSR wire and pole enforcers.Wind turbines generated 11,049 MWh’s of electricity through the end of October which is 31.43% higher than the same period last year. The turbine’s average capacity factor is also greater than last year’s by about 6.34%. The light plant’s line crew completed the construction of 2,560 feet of line extension to Colorado Beef and replaced two, forty-foot wooden poles with one at 5^th and Parmenter and one at Highway 196 and CR 20 which suffered wind damage on November 14^th.

The board’s final meeting of the year will be held Tuesday, December 15^th.

By Russ Baldwin