Ottumwa Generating Station
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Ottumwa Generating Station is an operating power station of at least 725-megawatts (MW) in Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa Generating Station | Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa, United States | 41.097728, -92.554939 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1: 41.097728, -92.554939
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: subbituminous | 725.9 | subcritical | 1981 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | MidAmerican Energy Co [52%]; Interstate Power and Light Co [48%] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc [52.0%]; Alliant Energy Corp [48.0%] |
Financing
- Owner: Interstate Power and Light 48%[1], MidAmerican Energy 52%[2]
Alliant Energy Coal Exit
In 2020 Interstate Power and Light parent company Alliant Energy set an “aspiration” to reach net-zero carbon by 2050 and eliminate all coal power plants from its fleet by 2040.[3]
Emissions Data
- CO2 Emissions: 4,714,088 tons (2006), 5,394,214.26 tons (2008)[4]
- SO2 Emissions: 14,172 tons (2006), 15,694.37 tons (2008)[5]
- SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- NOx Emissions: 7,356 tons (2006), 3,693.69 tons (2008)[5]
- Mercury Emissions: 404 lb. (2005)
Pollution controls
In 2012, Alliant spent $345 million on pollution controls for the power plant, creating 400 jobs and reducing yearly mercury emissions from 150 pounds to 15 pounds. The controls also cut 4,900 tons of SO2 pollution.[6]
Coal Waste Sites
- Ottumwa Generating Station Coal Pile Runoff Pond
- Ottumwa Generating Station Zero Liquid Discharge Pond
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Ottumwa
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[7] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[8]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Ottumwa
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 30 | $220,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 46 | $5,000,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 500 | $26,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 22 | $500,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 18 | $8,100,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 31 | $12,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed April 2011
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Alliant Energy 10-k filing, page 22" alliantenergy.gcs.web.com, accessed June 17,2020
- ↑ "Pacificorp 10-k 2019" bkenergy.com accessed June 17,2020
- ↑ "Wisconsin Utility Alliant Energy Pledges Net-Zero Carbon by 2050" greentechmedia.com, July 23, 2020
- ↑ Iowa Operating Permit Application, Title V Annual Emissions Summary
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Iowa Operating Permit Application, Form 5.0, Title V Annual Emissions Summary
- ↑ Matt Kasper, "Pollution Control Retrofit Creates 400 Jobs In Iowa: Project Is A ‘Win-Win For Iowa’s Economy And Environment,’" Think Progress, Aug. 27, 2012.
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
