Coffeyville Groundbreaking Ceremony
Wednesday was a momentous day for Coffeyville Municipal Light and Power (CMP&L) as local leaders, utility officials and dignitaries held a groundbreaking ceremony for Generation Facility No.2. Construction will officially begin October 12th and the new plant, located in the Coffeyville Industrial Park, is expected to be in operation by January 1, 2017.
The construction of the $58, 000,000 plant is the result of a power purchase and sale agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority. The contract led to an agreement to purchase and install 3 – 18.7 MW Wärtsilä generating units, which adds an additional 56 MW of generating capacity. Burns & McDonnell is the engineering firm for the project.
One of the significant benefits of the plant is the quick start capability of the new generators. Should Coffeyville experience a power loss, the new generators could be up and running, and restoring power to the city within 10 minutes. This is an exciting step forward for CMP&L, which has grown into one of the largest municipally owned utilities in Kansas, servicing over 60 square miles and over 6,300 customers. Construction of Generation Facility No.2, just adds to the rich legacy of CMP&L, which has been providing power since 1901.
