From left, Department of Public Utilities’ Power Scheduler and Energy Manager Jordon Garcia, Deputy Manager/Power Production Steve Cummins and Department Manager Tim Glasco answer questions during the public meeting to discuss the Integrated Resource Plan July 12 at the White Rock Branch Library. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
The public learns about the Integrated Resource Plan during the July 12 meeting. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
With Los Alamos County preparing to walk away from the San Juan coal plant in 2022 and the Department of Public Utilities’ (DPU) policy to be carbon neutral by 2040, DPU is beginning to seek alternatives to provide electricity to the County.
DPU hired PACE Global to create an Integrated Resource Plan, which proposes and ranks several energy options. The two highest ranked options are solar with storage and small module nuclear reactors.
The Integrated Resource Plan was shared with the community July 12 at the White Rock Branch Library.
While DPU is planning for the future, its staff and the Integrated Resource Plan emphasized there is no real need to rush into anything right now. “We’re in no rush to make any decisions right now,” Power Scheduler and Energy Manager Jordon Garcia said during the public meeting.
Deputy Manager/Power Production Steve Cummins echoed this, saying, “We’re going to take this slowly.” He added the DPU really wants the public’s feedback on this Integrated Resource Plan. “Ultimately, we are public power-this is their utility; we want to be transparent in how we prepare for the future.”
He added the public is encouraged to submit feedback to the DPU regarding the plan. Cummins said, “We will advertise (more) public meetings as necessary when we are proposing to move forward on a generating resource.” Cummins emphasized this plan is just one tool of many that will be used.
Cummins said the DPU’s decision to leave the San Juan coal plant is because it is no longer economically feasible. He explained the cost of gas is so low that it is squeezing coal plants out of business.
Plus, Cummins said, Unit 4 at the San Juan generating station will be 37 years old in 2022. “It just requires more maintenance and capital expenditures to control emissions,” he said.
Additionally, in 2015 the board of public utilities (BPU) made it a policy for the County to be carbon neutral by 2040.
To replace the coal plant and achieve the BPU’s policy, DPU is looking at solar with storage as well as small module nuclear reactors. According to the scorecard created by PACE, solar/storage received the highest marks for cost, risk, environmental, operation and overall criteria.
Cummins said, “Solar and storage-that’s the least cost way to meet demand and achieve the 2040 carbon neutral goal.”
Other alternatives included different combinations of combined cycle, solar/storage, reciprocating internal combustion engine and small module nuclear reactors.
Cummins said peak times for solar energy would work for the peak times of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s demand profile. He explained since 1985 the County and the Department of Energy have had a partnership through an Electric Coordination Agreement, whereby both parties share resources for the benefit of the parties.. Cummins said, “We share the costs based on who uses what.”
He said the laboratory uses approximately 80 percent of the power with the county’s commercial and residential customers using the remaining 20 percent. The partnership agreement is for 10 years and has been extended multiple times. The current agreement will expire in 2025.
DPU is also considering small modular nuclear reactors (SMNR). Cummins said the SMNR project is an option the County wants to keep open to meet its carbon neutral goal as long as it can mitigate the risks associated with the development and construction of a first of a kind nuclear power plant.
Cummins said both the former and current administrations have shown a great deal of support for small nuclear modular reactors. There is a great deal of grant money available for this technology because the government wants the U.S. to have a slice of this technology on the world market.
if DPU chooses to follow this option, he said it would be similar to the ownership of the San Juan coal plant, which is shared with eight other entities. It would probably be for 40 years. The reactor would be located at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls.
He pointed out an obstacle with pursuing solar energy is that the laboratory is working on the National Environmental Protection Agency’s environment processes on various lab properties for a solar array. While there have been a number of potential sites, the numbers have decreased due to a number of factors such as finding culturally significant Pueblo artifacts.