Rawhide Unit 1
Fuel type: coal
Net capacity: 280 MW
Commercial operation: 1984
Operations: baseload
Operations
- Platte River’s largest single source of system capacity at 280 net megawatts
- Used for baseload energy needs
- Provides approximately half of Platte River’s annual delivered energy
- One of the highest-performing coal units in the U.S., averaging 97.28% equivalent availability and 85.08% capacity factor (as of May 31, 2020)
- Reliable fuel supply with close proximity to Powder River Basin coal reserves
- Will be removed from Platte River's energy mix by Dec. 31, 2029
Financials
- Platte River’s lowest operating cost generating resource
- Original debt retired in 2018
- Long-term rail and fuel contracts
- Fuel cost volatility mitigated through flexibility of existing contracts
Environmental
- Uses state-of-the-art air quality control technology to reduce emissions
- Maintains full compliance with strict environmental laws and regulations
- Healthy bison and waterfowl habitats at Rawhide demonstrate the ability for nature and industry to share space
- Water-efficient design utilizes reclaimed water from a domestic wastewater treatment plant
- No discharge of industrial wastewater from the facility due to beneficial reuse of all process water
Rawhide units A, B, C and D
Fuel type: natural gas
Net capacity: 65 MW per unit; 260 MW total
Commercial operation: units A-C—2002; Unit D—2004
Operations
- Simple-cycle gas turbine
- Each unit operates at a heat rate of approximately 13,400 Btu/kWh heat rate
- Used primarily at times of high system demand, and operates at an annual average capacity factor of less than 1%
- All units have fast-start capability to respond to critical system needs
Financials
- Debt retired in 2018
- Pipeline access to regional market hub to provide source flexibility and price risk mitigation
Environmental
- Equipped with enhanced combustion system to reduce air emissions
- Maintains full compliance with strict environmental laws and regulations
- Emissions per MWh are lower than coal, including all criteria pollutants and CO2
Rawhide Unit F
Fuel type: natural gas
Net capacity: 128 MW
Commercial operation: 2008
Operations
- Simple-cycle gas turbine
- Most efficient of Platte River’s gas turbines with a 11,500 Btu/kWh heat rate
- Used primarily at times of high system demand
- Most utilized peaking resource at 128 net MW
- Averages approximately 2.5% capacity factor on an annual basis
Financials
- No debt service
- Pipeline access to regional market hub to provide source flexibility and price risk mitigation
Environmental
- Equipped with enhanced combustion system to reduce air emissions
- Maintains full compliance with strict environmental laws and regulations
- Emissions per MWh are lower than coal, including all criteria pollutants and CO2
Rawhide Flats Solar
Fuel type: solar photovoltaic
Net capacity: 30 MW
Commercial operation: 2016
Operations
- Facility covers approximately 185 acres, approximately the same amount of land occupied by Rawhide Unit 1 operations
- Total of 117,120 photovoltaic panels
- Single-axis tracking system
- Generates power for approximately 7,000 homes each year
- Facility produces 64,000 megawatt-hours per year or approximately 2% of the owner communities’ annual energy needs
- Annual output equal to approximately 10,000 residential rooftop solar installations
Financials
- Power purchase agreement runs through 2036
- Fixed price contract
- Platte River receives full energy output of project
- Right to own facility in the future
Environmental
- Renewable resource of energy
- Zero air emissions
- Estimated lifespan of 30+ years
- No new transmission required
- Located at an existing industrial facility, no new real estate (acquisition) needed for installation
Rawhide Prairie Solar
Fuel type: solar photovoltaic
Net capacity: 22 MW
Commercial operation: 2021
Operations
- Facility will cover approximately 150 acres
- TBA silicon photovoltaic panels
- Single-axis tracking system
- Battery stores up to 2 megawatt hours of solar energy and discharge at a rate of 1 megawatt when the sun isn't shining
Energy production
- Power purchased from DEPCOM Power
- Platte River receives full energy output of project
- Generates power for approximately 6,000 homes per year
Environmental
- Renewable resource of energy
- Zero air emissions
- Estimated lifespan of 30+ years
- No new transmission required
- Located at an existing industrial facility, no new real estate (acquisition) needed for installation