Power to the People

With Plant Manager, Tom Mackin. Former Missouri State representative Dave Christiansen, also KCPL, in the background





Turbines and generator for Iatan 1.

A glimpse inside the boiler. That's what 3,000 degrees fahrenheit looks like.

Me, with KCPL hard-hat and goofy expression.

Today we travelled to historic Weston MO, where we lunched with officials from Kansas City Power & Light (KCPL) before Eric & I visited the Iatan coal-fired power plant. This is the largest and most efficient coal-fired power plant in the US. The original Iatan 1 plant generates a maximum 750 MW. Iatan 2 generates an additional 950 MW. For our NZ readers, the three dams on the Waitaki generate a combined 865 MW. I was surprised that anyone would be building a new coal-fired power station in this day and age of global warming, greenhouse gases and emissions trading schemes. The proposal to build Iatan 2 had to go through many regulatory hurdles, including negotiations with environmental interest groups, to get off the drawing board. One of the conditions of the approval was that not only should Iatan 2 have state-of-the-art air pollution control equipment but the same equipment had to be retro-fitted to Iatan 1. As a result, the combined emissions from both plants are less than the emissions from the original Iatan 1. Environmental standards have risen over time in the US as they have in NZ - and there is a zero-water-discharge requirement on Iatan 2. The retrofit on Iatan 1 cost $US450M, while the new Iatan 2 plant cost $US1.9B. The combined plants employ 240 people, although 4,000 were employed during the construction phase.

After our Plant visit we did some sightseeing around historic Weston. In the 1880s, Weston was the second-largest town in Missouri, second only to St Louis. It was strategically located as a port on the Missouri River and was a launching pad for people heading west. Mother Nature dealt the town a cruel blow. Flooding in the Missouri River changed the river's course and the port was gone. The population fell away dramatically and the glory days of Weston were behind her. A rich architectural heritage hints at what might have been, but it remains a charming place to visit. Alas, her underground pub only opens Thursday, Friday, Saturday, so we missed out on that experience.

One special treat was the opportunity to meet Eric's parents Harold & Charlotte, who spent some time with Hayley while we were in Weston. They are lovely people.That evening, Eric and I went out to a Public Safety Citizens Advisory Board meeting and then to a meeting between representatives of the Blue Springs EDC and the local chapter of the American Legion. It was good to experience some local democracy first-hand and it was another chance to catch up with Brien Starner, Bill Wrisinger and to meet Bill's HR Manager, Lori. Another full day here in MO, and there aren't many left now. The time has flown and i'm sure the next two days will fly by too.