Alliant Energy’s plans for a natural gas-fired power plant near the Prairie Creek generating station in southwest Cedar Rapids are charging forward, following an online public hearing on the project Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Alliant officials say that if approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the new Cedar River Generating Station will generate electrical power using five reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) fueled by natural gas.
The 94-megawatt facility, to be built on the vacant coal pile area at the Prairie Creek site, 3300 C St. SW, is expected to be operational by June 2027, Alliant officials say.
“RICE units let us quickly ramp energy production up or down as demand fluctuates,” Alliant officials said. “This complements resources like wind and solar, which produce energy intermittently. Natural gas is also a cleaner burning energy source compared to other fossil fuels … The development of Cedar River Generating Station underscores our commitment to a balanced energy approach. This project will help meet customer demand while providing cost-effective energy and supporting our investments in renewables to ensure reliability and security.”
The Iowa Utilities Commission voted to approve the conversion project in June.
The new facility is part of Alliant’s ongoing efforts to move away from coal as an electrical generation source – an effort that culminated at Prairie Creek Dec. 31, when the facility ceased burning coal for energy production.
Alliant Energy spokesperson Taylor Adams detailed the current status of the six units at Prairie Creek:
Linn County Public Health held the Jan. 28 public hearing as part of the process of considering an air quality permit for the project, including the five RICE units, auxiliary equipment, and two small natural gas heaters for comfort heating at Prairie Creek. It was not to discuss the fuel switch from coal to gas, Ms. Adams said.
Tony Daugherty, senior air quality specialist for Linn County Public Health, said during Wednesday’s public hearing that Alliant had reached a consent settlement agreement in June 2015 with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under which Interstate Power and Light – Alliant’s Iowa subsidiary – sought to cease coal combustion as part of an ongoing effort to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.
The only current coal-fired power plant in Linn County, Mr. Daugherty said, is being operated by ADM.
“So really, this project results in a significant emissions reduction across the board for all pollutants at the Prairie Creek site,” he said – with the exception of certain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
Mr. Daugherty said the DNR’s public notice for the project acknowledged that it would create increased emissions, including particulates, greenhouse gases and VOCs. However, he said that acknowledgement was “a formality” based on a requirement of the consent settlement with the EPA, under which Alliant would not be allowed to take carbon transition credits for ceasing coal combustion – thus, any emissions would be seen as an increase from a zero baseline.
Under the Alliant proposal, potential particulate emissions will be reduced from over 900 tons a year, when the plant was coal-fueled, to 123 tons with natural gas fueling, Mr. Daugherty said.
The public comment for the project has now expired, and after comments are compiled and reviewed, Mr. Daugherty said he expected the DNR would be issuing permits for the project “shortly after that point.”
MidAmerican Energy has agreed to extend a natural gas pipeline to connect to Alliant’s power plant in Cedar Rapids and is seeking separate permits for that extension, according to a Radio Iowa report.
According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, natural gas is the largest source of electric power generation in the United States. The self-described non-partisan and nonprofit group says new natural gas power plants emit less than one-third the amount of carbon dioxide as a coal-fired power plant, with fewer air pollutants and particulate matter emissions.
However, critics, including some climate scientists, argue that natural gas carries its own issues, including distribution costs and methane leakages.
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