|
<br />Power Operations [Cont.]
<br />
<br />Lower Basin
<br />
<br />Water Year 1992
<br />
<br />On June 1, 1987, the United States assumed operation and
<br />maintenance responsibility of Hoover Powerplant and
<br />associated switching stations, after the 50-year contract with
<br />operatillg agents (The City of Los Angeles and its Department
<br />of Water and Power, and Southern California Edison
<br />Company, Ltd.) expired. Tbe "General Regulations for
<br />Generation and Sale of Power in Accordance with the
<br />Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act", promulgated on
<br />May 20, 1941, provided the basis for computation of charges
<br />for electrical energy generated at Hoover Dam through May
<br />31, 1987. The Department of Energy Organizational Act of
<br />1977 transferred the responsibility for the power marketing
<br />and transmission functions of the Boulder Canyon Project
<br />from the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to the
<br />Western Area Power Administration (Western). The power
<br />marketing functions of Western include the rcsponsibility for
<br />promulgating charges for the sale of power. The construction,
<br />power generation, operation, maintenance, and replacement
<br />responsibilities associated with the Hoover Powerplant and
<br />appurtenant works remained with Reclamation.
<br />
<br />Marketing of Parker-Davis power and operating the
<br />transmission system are the responsibility of Western.
<br />Reclamation continues to operate and maintain the dams and
<br />their powerplants, a function of the Lower Colorado Dams
<br />Project Office.
<br />
<br />Davis and Parker Powerp\ants continue to be operated by
<br />remote control from Western's Supervisory Control and Data
<br />Acquisition (SCADA) computer system located at their
<br />Phoenix Area Office. The SCADA system monitors and
<br />remotely controls the powerplant generating units to adhere
<br />to water schedules provided by Reclamation's water
<br />scheduling branch located at the Lower Colorado Dams
<br />Project, Hoover Dam. Routine maintenance was performed
<br />at Davis and Parker powerplants.
<br />
<br />The total energy delivered to the Hoover contractors during
<br />the 1992 fiscal year (October 1, 1991 through September 30,
<br />1992) was 3,716,512,000 kilowatt-hours. -OfThaCamount,'the
<br />Schedule A contractor received 3,086,942,000 kilowatt-hours
<br />and the Schedule B contractor received 629,570,000
<br />kilowatt-hours. Schedule C contractor received no deliveries
<br />in the 1992 operating year.
<br />
<br />In fiscal year 1992, one generating unit, A8, at Hoover
<br />Powerplant was uprated. This increased the usable capacity
<br />by 11.5 megawatts and brought the total plant capacity to
<br />1964.0 megawatts. Of tbe 17 generating units at Hoover
<br />powerplant, 14 have been uprated.
<br />
<br />Three generating units remain to be up rated. Unit A3 is in the
<br />process of being uprated and is scheduled to be completed in
<br />January, 1993. Unit A4 is scheduled for completion in March
<br />1993. Ullit N8 is scheduled for completion in January 1993.
<br />The total Hoover Powerplant capacity, at the completion of
<br />uprating. is estimated to be a maximum of 2,074 megawatts.
<br />Principal work under the contract includes conducting a study
<br />of each existing generator's design, furnishing and installing
<br />necessary new components, and modifying the generator's, as
<br />required, to accomplish the proposed uprating. The objective
<br />is to uprate the generators by the optimum amount, based on
<br />water availability and economic feasibility. Studies show that
<br />sufficient water, head, and turbine capacity 3re available to
<br />produce significantly more generator output than the existing
<br />generator ratings will allow.
<br />
<br />Water Year 1993
<br />
<br />In operation studies of Lake Mead and Lake Powell for the
<br />operating year which ends September 30, 1993, the amounts
<br />released at Hoover Dam have been projected to satisfy both
<br />downstream water requirements, including diversions by The
<br />Metropolitan Water District and the Central Arizona Project,
<br />while also complying with the overall requirements to meet
<br />Compact, flood control, and operating criteria release
<br />provisions. The water scheduled to be released will generate
<br />Schedules A and B energy. The estimated monthly Hoover
<br />releases during water year 1993 total 8.6 million acre-feet. It
<br />is estimated that generation from these Hoover releases will
<br />result in delivery to the approved contractors of
<br />approximately 3.9 billion kilowatt-hours of electrical energy.
<br />
<br />Normal routine maintenance at Hoover Powerplant has been
<br />scheduled around the uprating program outages, and upon
<br />completion of the uprating program in March of 1993
<br />maintenance will return to a more normal schedule. The fou;
<br />main penstocks are scheduled for inspection and repair
<br />during the next 2 years.
<br />
<br />The Hoover U prating Program was authorized by lhe Hoover
<br />Powerplant Act of 1984 (ACT), which finalized an historic
<br />three-State agreement on the marketing of Hoover power
<br />after the original contracts terminated on May 31, 1987. The
<br />Act also requires that the Hoover Uprating Program be
<br />undertaken with funds advanced by the non-Federal
<br />purchasers of Hoover power.
<br />
<br />27
<br />
|