The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) on Feb. 21 announced plans to cease operation of two electric generating units at its Quindaro Power Station in late 2019.
Kansas City, Kansas-based BPU said that the units, brought online in 1965 and 1971, “have provided the utility with a reliable and economical source of power for more than half a century.” However, based on the findings of a recent feasibility study and other factors, BPU management has determined that the units are no longer viable, efficient, or necessary to operate in today’s marketplace.
In a preliminary future operations feasibility study, conducted by engineering firm Lutz, Daily and Brain, it was identified that BPU has enough capacity to meet future forecasted loads and all required reserve margins through 2028, and therefore, BPU no longer needs to utilize the units.
“Moreover, because of their high cost to operate and maintain, these two 48 and 54 year old steam electric generating units rarely operate in the marketplace,” BPU said in a news release.
The plant is located in Kansas City, Kansas, and the total combined capacity of the units is 165 megawatts. Once the two units are closed, there will not be any other units operating at the Quindaro Power Plant.
Ceasing operations of the two units and the Quindaro Power Station will eventually save BPU approximately $10 million annually, the public power utility noted.
“As this has been an on-going multi-year evaluation process, this will not require the elimination of any current positions within the utility,” it said.
Several of the operating positions have already been reassigned over the last year to BPU’s primary Nearman Power Generation facility, and other functions that had offices or space physically on the Quindaro Power Station property will be relocated to other existing BPU facilities.
