POWER January 2012 - 56

Powder river basin coal
PRBCUG Small Plant of the Year:
Muscatine Power & Water
Employees at the 293-MW Muscatine Power & Water plant combine a positive
attitude with an aggressive focus on workplace safety, inspired by
the motto: " We all can adapt, adopt, and improve to meet the challenges
head on to provide our customers with reliable power. " The facility began
using Powder River Basin coal in 1993, and the staff have learned effective
techniques to use it safely.
By Angela Neville, JD
H
eadquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, on the
Mississippi River, Muscatine Power &
Water (MP&W) provides electricity, water,
and communications products and services
to a 24-square-mile service area (Figure 1).
MP&W is the largest municipally owned utility
in the state in terms of generating capacity and
revenue. Established in 1922, the MP&W electric
utility has a service area of 22,719 residents
and 11,204 electric customers. This year, its operational
practices made it an award-winner.
The Powder River Basin Coal Users'
Group (PRBCUG) conducted its annual meeting
in conjunction with the 2011 ELECTRIC
POWER Conference & Exhibition in May
2011. Each year the PRBCUG recognizes two
PRBCUG Coal Plants of the Year (Large and
Small Plant categories) for their innovation
and implementation of " best practices and
best available technologies. " The Large Coal
Plant of the Year award went to Kansas City
Power & Light's Iatan Unit 2, coincidentally
the 2011 POWER Plant of the Year (see our
August 2011 issue or the archives at www
.powermag.com). The Small Plant Award
went to the MP&W plant (Figure 2).
Both winning plants each year are inducted
into the PRBCUG's Power Plant Hall of Fame.
Selections are made by the board, with input
from the group's members. PRBCUG membership
consists of users and prospective users of
PRB coals (generating companies or industrial
energy consumers). Associate members from
companies supplying coal, equipment, or services
also participate in the selection process.
In November, Greg Krieser, past chair of
the PRBCUG Board of Directors, told POWER
why the MP&W plant is viewed as being an
industry leader in handling PRB coal. " The
story of the City of Muscatine's MP&W
plant embodies the principles of the Powder
River Basin Coal Users' Group, " Kreiser said.
" They learned from the experience of others,
and they shared their experiences for the benefit
of others. Our group wants to thank Mark
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POWER | January 2012
Costello, the MP&W maintenance supervisor,
and his staff for implementing the best practices
for safe and efficient use of PRB coal. "
Facility Overview
The MP&W facility consists of three main
generation units: Units 7, 8/8A, and 9. In
2010, the units produced a combined total of
1,128 GWh of electricity.
The units have the following profiles:
■ Unit 7 began commercial operation in
1958. It has a Wickes stoker-fired boiler
and a 25-MW GE turbine generator.
■ Unit 8 began commercial operation in
1968. It has a Babcock & Wilcox (B&W)
cyclone-fired boiler and a 75-MW GE turbine
generator.
1. Energizing Iowa. A nighttime view of the Muscatine Power & Water (MP&W) plant located
on the Mississippi River in southeastern Iowa. Established in 1922, MP&W is the largest municipally
owned utility in the state in terms of generating capacity and revenue. Courtesy: MP&W
2. A powerful team. The main reasons for the plant's success: the employees of Muscatine
Power & Water plant. Shown from left to right are Jeff Hedrington, safety manager; Ray
Danz, director of power production and supply; Mike Avesing, plant manager; Scott Clester, material
handling supervisor; Mark Costello, maintenance supervisor; and Greg Krieser, past chair
of the PRBCUG Board of Directors. The photo was taken in May 2011 at the ELECTRIC POWER
Awards Banquet. Source: POWER

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POWER January 2012

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