(The following article by Dustin Bleizeffer was posted on the Casper Star-Tribune website on March 14.)
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Coal stockpiles at the Laramie River Station power plant near Wheatland reached a dangerously low level over the weekend, but so far the plant has avoided having to curtail power generation.
Last week, Basin Electric Power Cooperative said it may have to curtail generation at the 1,650-megawatt plant by 20 percent or more if its stockpile dips below 125,000 tons — less than six days’ supply.
Basin Electric spokesman Floyd Robb said the stockpile dipped to 130,000 tons over the weekend due in part to a spring snowstorm and a continuing lack of railroad delivery from the Powder River Basin.
“At this point the best I could say is happening is we are barely hanging on,” Robb said on Monday.
On Monday morning, the stockpile was back up to 150,000 tons.
To operate at full capacity, the Laramie River Station requires 24,000 tons of coal per day. Normally, operators like to maintain at least a one-month stockpile of coal.
Should generation be curtailed at the plant, Basin Electric and other member owners would likely have to supplement power by buying it on the spot market, which means the higher market prices would be passed on to their customers.
Wyoming customers in at least eight counties rely on Laramie River Station for portions of their electrical service.
BNSF Railway said last week it would add deliveries to the power stations, but it is unclear whether those efforts will be enough to avoid trimming generation there in the short or long term.
NewsTracker
* Last we knew: Basin Electric Power Cooperative announced last week that it may curtail generation at its Laramie River Station power plant near Wheatland due to a dangerously low stockpile and sporadic rail delivery of coal.
* The latest: At 150,000 tons, about seven days worth of coal was stockpiled at the plant on Monday.
* What’s next: Basin Electric plans to curtail generation when the stockpile reaches 125,000 tons.