LOGAN – Apparently, believing the old adage about “If at first you don’t succeed…,” Mark Montgomery returned to the Logan Municipal Council during a workshop session on March 18, requesting that they reconsider purchasing an interest in a natural gas power plant in Idaho.
Despite council members’ recent fascination with the lure of green energy projects, the director of the city’s Light & Power Department again urged that they now consider purchasing a 15 mega-watt interest in the Power County project.
The central issue in the tug-of-war between the city and its council members is base load power capacity.
Logan Light & Power now provides energy to city residents through a combination of both local generation and open market purchases. Fossil fuels account for about 64 percent of that capacity, while renewable sources add 22 percent and market purchases cover 14 percent of city needs.
But two coal-fired resources (the Sunnyside and Hunter plants) are retiring over the next seven years, with a combined loss of 18 mega-watts of power or about 32 percent of Logan’s base load capacity.
To replace that lost base load capacity, Logan Mayor Holly Daines added the weight of her remarks to those of Montgomery on March 18, urging that council members consider purchasing at least an 18 mega-watt interest in the Power County plant.
Back in December, Montgomery first approached the council members with two proposed power contracts negotiated through the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPs).
The first of those contracts was for a natural gas plant in Millard County that would provide Logan with power to meet future peak energy demands at an estimated cost of $206 million over a 20-year period.
Electrical peak load is when the demand for electricity is at its highest and utilities must provide more power than normal. Peak load can occur at any time, but is often in the evening during the summer when air conditioners are running.
The second contract was with the Power County plant to provide 30-mega watts of base load energy for an estimated cost of $284 million.
Base load energy is everyday, continuous capacity.
After some debate the council members approved the Millard County contract, but postponed a decision on the Power County contract until after consultations with members of the city’s Renewable Energy and Sustainability Advisory Board.
At their first meeting of the New Year, however, council members bowed to public pressure from a packed crowd of environmental idealists to reject buying into a natural gas power plant in Idaho.
Only council member Mark Anderson voted to support the resolution that would have guaranteed base load power for Logan’s residential and commercial customers starting in the 2030’s.
The council’s other members – chair Jeanne Simmonds, vice chair Mike Johnson, Amy Anderson and Ernest López – all cast votes that signaled their hope that some form of renewable energy will become available in the next decade to supply the city’s projected future power needs.
At their meeting on March 18, council members directed that the city launch a feasibility study of a 15 mega-watt solar array to be constructed within Logan city limits.
But that solar array won’t solve the city’s pending problem with base load power, according to Nathanael Weidler, the chair of the Logan Light & Power Advisory Board.
“I have spoken to the members of the city council,” Weidler says, “and they understand that a solar project does not provide base load power. It doesn’t work at night. Base load power is consistent, 24-hours per day.”
While fully supporting the ideal goal of reducing the city’s carbon emissions wherever possible, Weidler adds that he also supports Montgomery’s recommendation to participate in the natural gas project to meet Logan’s base load needs.
The positions voiced by council members showed little change since their previous meetings.
Council member Mark Anderson argued in favor of the Power County contract, saying it would protect Logan from expensive power purchases on the open market in the future.
But council members Mike Johnson and Ernesto Lopez expressed their belief that funds devoted to the Power County contact would be better invested in exploring renewable energy options.
Continued deliberations over the issue and a public hearing are scheduled for the next meeting of the Logan Municipal Council on April 1.