No. 10: City Utilities flips switch on Southwest 2

After seven years of planning and four years of construction, City Utilities of Springfield’s 300-megawatt Southwest Power Station Unit 2 was completed in November 2010.

A 30-year bond issue approved by voters in June 2006 will pay for the power plant, which has a $697.1 million price tag.

Located at 5050 W. FR 164, the 94,000-square-foot power station is an addition to the existing Southwest Power Station and is fueled by low-sulfur western coal, according to www.cityutilities.net.

The plant uses emissions-reducing technologies, including air-pollution and mercury controls. It also will use treated municipal wastewater for cooling, according to the Web site.

Testing and commissioning procedures were to continue until early January, when the plant is expected to be fully operational.

The project first came to light in 1995 when the potential need for more power was identified in CU’s long range planning process.

“With this new unit, we believe that a balance of reliable, affordable and responsible power has been met,” City Utilities General Manager John Twitty said in a news release when the plant was dedicated.

One of the Top 10 Stories of 2010: See the rest here.
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