| 2013 Summer | story by EMILY MULLIGAN | photos by STEVEN HERTZOG |
The tall red-and-white stack of Westar Energy’s Lawrence coal plant, the Lawrence Energy Center, is one of the most visible sights in the area, aside from Fraser Hall atop the University of Kansas campus. With recent large-scale environmental improvements at the plant, both of those vistas may be clearer than ever.
From 2009 until this spring, Westar has designed and constructed $325 million of environmental upgrades at the Lawrence Energy Center, complying with the federal Clean Air Act and the Regional Haze Agreement between Westar and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The upgrades have reduced the three primary pollutants from the plant by significant amounts: particulate matter is down 74%, sulfur dioxide is down 27%, and nitrogen oxide is down 30%.
Troy Mussetter, executive director and plant manager of the Lawrence Energy Center, which employs 113 people, oversaw up to 350 contractors at the plant site during the three years of planning and construction. Kansas City engineering firm Black & Veatch planned and designed the upgrades.
This summer, after construction was complete, Mussetter played host to the Environmental Protection Agency at the plant, to tour the upgrades and also show how EPA guidelines are translated and implemented in the field. The Lawrence Energy Center was one of the first coal plants in the country to put the most recent Clean Air Act guidelines into action.
“Some companies wait and act only after the rule comes out, but Westar’s proactive approach allowed us to be in the front of the line, get the best contractors and negotiate great rates,” Mussetter said. “Although $325 million is a big number, it could have been a lot more, and that would affect our customers.”
The plant has three active generators – two others have been decommissioned in the past 20 years – and the upgrades incorporated all three, with the most extensive work on the plant’s newest generator, Unit 5, built in 1971. At the time it was built, Unit 5 had some of the first pollution control equipment in the country, Mussetter said.
It’s in the bag
The new pollution control on units 4 and 5 involves technology with a deceivingly simple name: bags. But these are not ordinary bags. They are constructed with a P84/fiberglass blend and are about 30 feet long and 10 inches in diameter, and they each fit over a cage face below the generators’ stacks. The bags filter the fly ash in units 4 and 5, and they are the reason for the drastic decrease in particulate matter released by the plant.
Unit 4 has 8,000 bags, and Unit 5 has 10,000 bags contained in the newly constructed bag houses. Every three years, the bags will be replaced, making them lower maintenance than the scrubbers used previously, which required the units to be offline once a year for maintenance.
In addition to the pollution reduction, the bag houses allow for a beneficial reuse of the fly ash captured in the bags.
“For reuse, the fly ash can be mixed with concrete. Road construction crews love that material, and now we can collect the ash and sell it. That money goes back to the customer,” Mussetter said.
As part of the upgrades, concrete cylindrical towers were constructed near units 4 and 5 that can accommodate rail cars and semi trucks to collect the fly ash. A chute deposits fly ash directly into the rail car or truck, and it is on its way to the construction site.
Rock and roll
In order to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, the plant uses age-old technology – with modern efficiencies, of course. Limestone is placed in a cylindrical tumbler, along with metal balls and then finely ground. It is then mixed into a slurry and used as a filter for material exiting the generators.
Mussetter said Westar purchases its limestone from the local Hamm’s quarry. That, in addition to water from the Kansas River to power its boilers and natural gas from Southern Star, is the one of the main vendors that the plant uses, aside from coal.
“It’s nice to be able to use a local company like Hamm’s,” Mussetter said.
Watchful eye
Although activity at the plant is a bit calmer now that the construction is complete and the contractors are gone, Mussetter knows that environmental oversight is a continuous process.
“I’m complete with my upgrade, but what will be my next upgrade? Is the technology even there to do it? That’s always a challenge to us,” he said. “The next technology may be mercury control; the rule is out in draft to the EPA. That would be a significantly smaller effort than this.”
The plant has hired an environmental engineer specifically to keep track of the latest policy as it develops. That will help them plan ahead for any future improvements.
Environmentalists in Kansas concede that the Lawrence Energy Center upgrades are an improvement – but burning coal as a fuel will always affect air quality, along with other environmental impacts. Scott White, founder of the Kansas Energy Information Network, a compendium of energy news and projects in the Great Plains, said that the Lawrence plant upgrades are progress.
“Westar did put in controls – the Lawrence plant used to be the lowest ranked in their fleet,” he said .
In the meantime, coal-powered electricity is still the main energy source for residences and businesses. Energy conservation efforts have increased in the past 15-20 years, with Energy Star products and improved computer technology. Even with devices such as tablets and smartphones, White said those still had to be recharged regularly using, of course, electricity.
“Your average person probably hasn’t sacrificed in comforts. I’d guess they’ve moved to more efficient means of getting those comforts. We buy more efficient products, but then we buy more of them,” White said.
Help for businesses
The Lawrence Energy Center upgrades are by far the most extensive and expensive environmental improvements that Westar has made in recent years, but the company continues to make strides toward helping its customers use less electricity.
Matt Lehrman, Westar account manager for customer programs, recently represented Westar for the city of Lawrence’s Green Business Leaders initiative, which advised downtown businesses on how to decrease their environmental impact. Lehrman said that although energy auditors dispensed good advice about upgrades such as insulation and LED lights, the businesses were most impressed with Westar’s Energy Dashboard, which allows them to track energy use.
Any business that is a Westar customer can set up its own Energy Dashboard account through the Westar website. The Dashboard allows both residential and business customers to track their energy use, as detailed as 15-minute increments, to see when they are using the most energy and how much it costs them. Information displayed on the Dashboard is tracked within an eight-hour delay, so it is almost instant feedback.
Lehrman said that being able to track energy use in small increments is especially helpful to businesses, because they must pay a demand charge based on their time of highest usage in the month, in addition to their actual usage.
“So if your business opens at a certain hour, you can see when you turned on the coffee pots, the air conditioning, things like that, and get an idea how that affects your bill. You might want to turn on those things at different times, to keep your demand charge less,” he said. “That also decreases the demand from Westar and allows us to operate more efficiently.”
The Dashboard also allows businesses to receive weekly email updates about their bill and to look back and compare bills month to month or year to year – complete with information about what the temperature was on any given day.
Westar also offers its WattSaver thermostat program to businesses, providing a free programmable thermostat, so businesses can automatically power down furnaces and air conditioners when facilities are not occupied.
Electric fleet
Westar is on the cutting-edge of automotive technology and hopes other businesses will follow suit.
“In the Westar fleet, we have 31 plug-in vehicles, including Chevy Volt, Ford Focus and Ford Fusion. Also, our bucket trucks, which are diesel, use a rechargeable battery to operate their boom, so there is no gas use when they are sitting still on a job,” Lehrman said.
The Westar fleet vehicles use both electric and gas, which means that when the electric charge wears off, typically after 80 to 100 miles of driving, gasoline begins powering the car. Lehrman said that the vehicles could plug into any outlet and do not necessarily require a special type of plug, although that isan optional upgrade.
The Westar headquarters and each of its plants have charging stations for the fleet vehicles. More and more charging stations are popping up in towns around the eastern half of the state, as well, and several businesses in Kansas have begun to equip their fleets with electric vehicles.
Lehrman said that there weren’t any businesses with electric fleet yet in Lawrence, but there is a public electric vehicle charging station at the University of Kansas’ Center for Design Research on West Campus. There is also a charging station at Hy-Vee on Clinton Parkway.
0002…1Lehrman hopes that Lawrence will follow the lead of other cities in the United States that are constructing electric vehicle charging stations, ideally leading to more electric vehicles on the road. ■
116 Comments
https://stromectol1st.shop/# ivermectin 3 mg tablet dosage
top 10 pharmacies in india
cost of ivermectin cream: stromectol shop – ivermectin cream canada cost
http://clopidogrel.pro/# Cost of Plavix on Medicare
cheap ed pills
generic ivermectin for humans: best price shop – ivermectin 5 mg price
If you feel like getting to know my wild and crazy side, don’t let me stop you, give me a call and visit me on real cams show right away. Can you imagine even more? Just let me know and you can add me to your favorites, then I will inform you regularly what’s new with me… But I don’t want to over-text you, so now it’s up to you
http://stromectol1st.shop/# stromectol
online canadian pharmacy
rybelsus cost: order Rybelsus – buy semaglutide online
http://stromectol1st.shop/# order minocycline 100 mg online
indian pharmacies safe
п»їplavix generic: here – Cost of Plavix without insurance
stromectol nz: stromectol 1st – minocycline 100mg without a doctor
more: rybelsus price – Semaglutide pharmacy price
как приворожить и какие есть заговоры на мужчин кто делал приворот и
где к чему снится если бывший парень сделал предложение
тест школьной тревожности филлипса скачать,
тест школьной тревожности
филлипса интерпретация 2019 ангельская нумерология
https://stromectol1st.shop/# buy minocycline 50 mg online
online pharmacy india
rybelsus.icu: semaglutide – rybelsus.icu
Plavix 75 mg price: plavix price – Plavix generic price
https://stromectol1st.shop/# where to buy ivermectin cream
indian pharmacy
Hey, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it
has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, wonderful blog!
pin up: pinup az – pin-up
https://1winindia.tech/# pin up
пин ап
пинап казино: пин ап казино вход – пин ап
пин ап казино вход: пинап кз – pin up kz
пин ап зеркало: пин ап вход – пин ап вход
пин ап вход: пинап зеркало – пинап зеркало
https://1winindia.tech/# пин ап казино
пинап
dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri [url=https://1wintr.fun/#]h?zl? casino[/url] canl? casino
pin up casino: pinup az – pin up azerbaycan
pin up 306: pin up 306 – pinup az
pinup az: pin up casino – pin up azerbaycan
canl? casino siteleri: guvenilir casino siteleri – casino oyunlar?
1хставка: 1хбет – 1xbet официальный сайт
пин ап кз: pin up kz – пин ап
pinup az [url=http://1winbrasil.win/#]pin up 306[/url] pin up casino
1xbet официальный сайт: 1xbet – 1xbet официальный сайт
https://1winbrasil.win/# pin-up casino giris
pin up
pin up: pin up 306 – pin up azerbaycan
пин ап: пинап зеркало – пин ап зеркало
en iyi casino siteleri: casino siteleri – casino oyunlar?
пин ап: пинап зеркало – пин ап вход
пин ап: пин ап вход – пин ап зеркало
http://1winrussia.online/# 1xbet зеркало
пинап казино
пин ап вход [url=https://1winci.icu/#]пин ап официальный сайт[/url] пин ап вход
If you like to watch naked women live, cam to chat online might not be the right thing for you. But if you’re not sure, you might want to try live cam 2 cam chat for free. Otherwise, just enjoy watching.
пин ап казино: пинап кз – пин ап казино вход
1xbet официальный сайт: 1xbet зеркало – 1хбет
1xbet скачать: 1хбет – 1хбет
https://1winrussia.online/# 1xbet зеркало
пин ап казино вход
dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri: casino siteleri – casino siteleri
пинап казино: pin up – пин ап казино вход
1xbet скачать [url=http://1winrussia.online/#]1хбет[/url] 1xbet
casino oyunlar?: casino siteleri – cazino
http://1winbrasil.win/# pin up
пинап
dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri: casino siteleri – cazino
pin up casino: pin up casino – pin up casino
casino siteleri: h?zl? casino – en iyi casino siteleri
http://1wintr.fun/# dunyan?n en iyi casino siteleri
пин ап
1хбет: 1хбет – 1хбет
mail order pharmacy india: buy prescription drugs from india – indianpharmacy com
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa: mexico pharmacies prescription drugs – mexican mail order pharmacies
http://drugs1st.store/# prescription meds without the prescriptions
ed products [url=http://drugs1st.store/#]ed drugs online[/url] erection problems
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa: mexican mail order pharmacies – pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa
http://drugs1st.store/# erectile dysfunction drug
india online pharmacy [url=https://indianpharm1st.com/#]п»їlegitimate online pharmacies india[/url] online shopping pharmacy india
mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs: mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa – mexican rx online
https://indianpharm1st.com/# reputable indian pharmacies
http://drugs1st.store/# natural ed cures
http://drugs1st.store/# herbal remedies for ed
пин ап кз: пинап – пин ап кз
http://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пин ап
pinup bet and casino
sweet bonanza: sweetbonanzatrpro – sweet bonanza
http://biznes-fabrika.kz/# пин ап кз
пины [url=https://biznes-fabrika.kz/#]пин ап казино[/url] пины
золото в астане, где купить золото в астане отзывы купить
газ 3307 в костанае б/у, купить газ 53 в кокшетау сызбаны пайдаланып пайымдау мәтінін құрастырып жаз,
пайымдау мәтіні мысал әлем балалар көзімен постер
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweetbonanzatr.pro
pinup bet and casino
sweetbonanzatrpro: sweet bonanza tr – sweet bonanza oyna
http://pinup-az.bid/# pin up
https://biznes-fabrika.kz/# пин ап 634
pinup bet and casino
пин ап 634: Пин Ап Казахстан – пины
pinup az [url=http://pinup-az.bid/#]pinup-az bid[/url] pin up
Официальный Сайт: пин ап – пинко
пин ап казино онлайн: пинап казино – пин ап 634
http://sweetbonanzatr.pro/# sweet bonanza nas?l oynan?r
Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт: пин ап казино онлайн – пин ап 634
https://biznes-fabrika.kz/# пин ап казино онлайн
pin up casino
pinup az: pinup-az bid – pin up
sweet bonanza [url=https://sweetbonanzatr.pro/#]sweet bonanza oyna[/url] sweet bonanza oyna
pinup az: pinup-az bid – pin up azerbaycan
https://pinup-az.bid/# pin-up
pin up win
пинко: пин ап казино – Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт в России
https://pinup-az.bid/# pin up 306
пин ап вход [url=http://pinupzerkalo.fun/#]Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт в России[/url] бонусы пин ап
https://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пинап казино
pin up win
пин ап: пинап казино – pin up zerkalo
sweetbonanzatr.pro: sweetbonanzatrpro – sweet bonanza oyna
https://pinupzerkalo.fun/# бонусы пин ап
http://pinupzerkalo.fun/# пин ап вход
pin up casino
sweetbonanzatr.pro: sweetbonanzatrpro – sweetbonanzatr.pro
sweet bonanza: sweet bonanza – sweet bonanza
пин ап [url=http://pinupzerkalo.fun/#]Пин Ап Казино Официальный Сайт в России[/url] Официальный Сайт
pinup-az bid: pinup az – pin up
https://biznes-fabrika.kz/# пинап
pin up win
pin-up casino giris: pin up casino – pin up casino
stromectol delivery usa: stromectol best price – stromectol store
amoxil online: buy amoxil online – top-rated pills
https://amoxil1st.shop/# shop
involves multisystem: same-day delivery – Neurontin online
http://paxlovid1st.store/# paxlovid1st
good price: good price – stromectol online
https://gabapentin1st.pro/# buy gabapentin
shop: amoxil price – shop
See risks: see a healthcare provider – paxlovid price
stromectol delivery usa: stromectol online – stromectol
cheapest paxlovid: paxlovid store – paxlovid price
http://gabapentin1st.pro/# buy gabapentin
https://amoxil1st.shop/# shop
buying from online mexican pharmacy [url=http://mexicanpharm24.cheap/#]Legit online Mexican pharmacy[/url] mexico pharmacies prescription drugs