Lamar Utility Board Details Turbine Repairs

Lamar Light and Power Turbines

Lamar Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh gave the board a briefing on the plant’s wind turbine recent operations.  He said the three Light Plant turbines have generated 6,987.07 WWH’s of electricity at an average capacity factor of 30.83% for the first half of 2023.  This is a 14.40% drop-off from the same period last year.  Turbine T-5 in Springfield, usually the highest producer, also showed a drop of 19.09% in this time frame and had an average capacity factor of 43.16%.  “There simply has been less wind so far this year to account for the decrease,” Hourieh explained.

There was also some down time for needed repairs to include taking T-4 offline due to excessive vibration alarms from the gearbox and main bearings.  The light plant is working with Arkansas River Power Authority, ARPA, on gearbox replacement options.  Turbine crews also completed needed repairs to T-5 Springfield turbine blades which included applying special fiberglass epoxy and paint to all three blades.

The annual inspection of the manlift device on the turbines indicated no safety codes or warnings.

The Lamar Utility board paid $840,806.74 in purchase orders for the month of which $818,528.84 required authorization including $717,551.72 for ARPA’s July estimate of power purchases.  Monthly bills amounted to $282,787.15.

Superintendent Hourieh, noted six bids were submitted for fiberglass pike poles that are used in emergency situations to support broken or leaning poles.  The low bid from Techline for $4,016 was selected.

Colorado Interstate Gas, (CIG) accepted the board’s counter offer of $80,000 that will resolve the full imbalance which had been accumulating since 1999 between both parties.
By Russ Baldwin