Lamar Utilities Board meeting February 11, 2025

The Utilities Board had a short meeting agenda for the February 11 meeting. Purchase orders 630598 through 630637 were approved, totaling $805,445.84, with $785,760.13 needing board approval. Electricity purchased through ARPA was the largest of these, in the amount of $646,103.32.  Quarterly insurance to CIRSA was also a large purchase order, in the amount of $88,161.84, as was a $32,267.32 purchase order to Sensus for annual/analytics fee.  The board approved paying of bills totaling $284,631.02.

Superintendent Hourieh’s System Operating Report concerned data from the wind turbines.  Wind turbine generation data for 2024 showed that Lamar’s three wind turbines have generated 10,538.56 MWH’s of electricity.  This is about 8.06% higher than what was generated in 2023.  The turbines have an average capacity factor of 30.42% which is higher than last year by about 5.09%.  Since the wind turbines were installed in 2003, 2010 was the best year, followed by 2008.  The third best year was 2020.  T-4, ARPA’s turbine generated 4,052.93 MWH’s.  The Springfield turbine generated 5,582.71 MWH’s of electricity through the same period with an average capacity factor of 42.40%.

By Barbara Crimond