Cooperative Living June 2015 - 38

YOUR CO-OP POWER by Shena Crittendon, Contributing Writer
NaturalGasBecoming
a Favored Fuel for
Power Generation
N
R b
p g
g
the wake of regulations from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that
are forcing most coal plants out of business.
Natural-gas plants are usually smaller than
coal-fired and nuclear plants, can be built
faster, and as of now, face less opposition
from the EPA.
So, what exactly is natural gas and how
does that translate into electricity? Natural gas
is a fossil fuel formed when layers of buried
plants and animals are exposed to intense heat
and pressure over thousands of years. The
energy that the plants and animals originally
obtained from the sun is stored in the form of
carbon in natural gas. Natural gas is combusted
to generate electricity, enabling this stored
energy to be transformed into usable power.
Natural gas is a nonrenewable resource
because it cannot be replenished on a human
time frame.
The natural-gas power-production process
begins with its extraction, continues with its
treatment and transport to the power plants,
and ends with its combustion in boilers and
turbines to generate electricity.
Initially, wells are drilled into the ground to
remove the gas. After it is extracted, it is treated
at gas plants to remove impurities such as
hydrogen sulfide, helium, carbon dioxide,
hydrocarbons, and moisture. Pipelines then
continued from pg. 10
p
p
Power plants use several methods to convert
gas to electricity. One method is to burn the gas
in a boiler to produce steam, which is then used
by a steam turbine to generate electricity. A
more common approach is to burn the gas in a
combustion turbine to generate electricity.
Another technology that is growing in popularity
is to burn the natural gas in a
combustion turbine and use the hot combustion-turbine
exhaust to make steam to drive
a steam turbine. This technology is called
" combined cycle " and achieves a higher efficiency
by using the same fuel source twice.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
(ODEC) provides electricity to 11 electric-distribution
cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland and
Delaware. Electric-distribution cooperatives in
Virginia served by ODEC include A&N, BARC,
Community, Mecklenburg, Northern Neck,
Prince George, Rappahannock, Shenandoah
Valley and Southside electric cooperatives.
ODEC owns two combustion-turbine facilities,
Louisa and Marsh Run power stations. ODEC
built and became the sole owner of Louisa
Power Station, located in Gordonsville, Va.,
in 2003.
Marsh Run Power Station is a 504megawatt
natural-gas peaking facility with low
carbon-dioxide emissions built in 2004 by
ODEC. Fauquier County was chosen as the
j
g
f i s proximity
nsmission
corridors. Gas-fired combustion turbines, such
as those at Marsh Run, are ideal because they
are able to produce electricity quickly to meet
peak-power requirements with low emissions
when the demand for electricity is the greatest.
A unique aspect of Marsh Run is its use of
water. Instead of tapping the local groundwater
supply to increase the efficiency of turbine
output, the station uses reclaimed water discharged
by the Fauquier County Water and
Sanitation Authority. Therefore, it safeguards
the water quality of the nearby Rappahannock
River and groundwater resources in the county.
ODEC also owns 50 percent of Rock
Springs Generation Facility. Located in
Cecil County, Md., this natural-gas peaking
facility began commercial operation in
2003 and has a total plant output of 672
megawatts. And ODEC is currently constructing
Wildcat Point Generation Facility, also
located in Cecil County, Md., which will be a
1,000-megawatt natural-gas-fired combinedcycle
plant expected to be fully operational
in 2017.
Gas-fired, combustion-turbine stations continually
prove their worth on the hottest and
coldest days of the year. They produce power
quickly and with low emissions, which make
them ideal power-generation sources during
periods of peak-energy demand. 
Thermostat Choices - A Brief Selection Guide
If you want more control and to save
some energy, the programmable option is
the right choice. All you have to decide is
how involved you want to be in the programming.
On a budget and not interested
in a lot of programming? Look for models
that come preprogrammed with the EPArecommended
temperature settings.
Want to fine-tune the way your systems
run? Opt for the seven-day programmable
model or, if your budget allows, go for a
smart model. These often allow hour-by36
hour
programming capability. That said, to
me the beauty of the smart models is their
" set-it-and-forget-it " capability. Program two
temperatures and leave the rest to them.
However, they are expensive, over $200
in most cases.
Even if all you want to do is simply
adjust your temperature up and down
when you feel the need, I still encourage
you to consider a programmable thermostat.
Setup can take a little longer, but once
you have your program set, you can let the
thermostat do its thing and enjoy up to 10
percent savings on your annual heating and
cooling bill (according to the EPA and
numerous other studies). And the most basic
thermostat in this class will cost between
$50 and $100. If you have it installed by a
professional there will be an added cost.
But this is definitely a good investment.
For more tips on how to make
your home more energy efficient, visit
www.energizeefficiently.coop. 
Cooperative Living/June 2015
CHINZOGZAG/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK
http://www.energizeefficiently.coop
Cooperative Living June 2015

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