HomeMy WebLinkAbout20161202Twelfth Quarterly Report.pdfLISA D. NORDSTROM
Lead Counsel
lnordstrom@idahopower.com
December 2, 2016
VIA HAND DELIVERY
Jean D. Jewell, Secretary
RE CEIVED
20 ,&DEC-2 PH 3:38
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 West Washington Street
Boise, Idaho 83702
An IDACORP Company
Re: Case No. IPC-E-13-16 -Selective Catalytic Reduction ("SCR") Controls on Jim Bridger
Power Plant Units 3 and 4 -Idaho Power Company's 1th Quarterly Report
Dear Ms. Jewell:
In Order No. 32929, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ("Commission") directed
Idaho Power Company ("Company") to submit quarterly reports updating the Commission
on any changes to environmental policy or regulations until such time as the Jim Bridger
power plant upgrades are installed and placed in service. The enclosed materials indicate
that the SCR on Unit 4 will be placed in service by December 31, 2016.
Please note that the attachment to this report is commercially sensitive and if
disclosed freely could subject Idaho Power or its customers to risk of competitive
disadvantage or other business injury. Consequently, the attachment will be provided
separately to those parties that have signed the Protective Agreement in this matter. The
undersigned attorney, in accordance with RP 67, certifies that this monthly report contains
information that is a trade secret as described in Idaho Code § 74-101, et seq., and § 48-
801, et seq., and as such is exempt from public inspection, examination, or copying.
LDN:kkt
Enclosure
cc: Service List
Very truly yours,
cX;~il 11__ PL~
Lisa D. Nordstrom ·
1221 W. Idaho St. (83702)
P.O. Box 70
Boise, ID 83707
12th Quarterly Report for the Jim Bridger Plant
Selective Catalytic Reduction Upgrade at Units 3 and 4
December 2, 2016
This quarterly report provides an update as to the current status of environmental policies or
regulations that are relevant to the construction of the Selective Catalytic Reduction ("SCR")
controls at the Jim Bridger Plant Units 3 and 4 ("Bridger Plant"), as well as a construction
progress update for the SCR installation project through November 15, 2016, and a schedule of
major construction milestones. Finally, a summary of actual project costs and a forecast of total
project costs as of September 30, 2016, is provided as a confidential attachment to this report.
Environmental Regulations Update:
Clean Air Act Section 111{d) for Existing Power Plants
On October 23, 2015, the final Clean Power Plan was published in the Federal Register and the
Environmental Protection Agency proposed a Federal Implementation Plan.
On February 9, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued orders staying the Clean Power Plan
pending resolution of challenges to the rule. On September 27, 2016 the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral arguments en bane before a panel of ten judges.
The en bane review is likely to speed up the overall litigation process; however, timing of the
final outcome is difficult to predict.
Project Cost Update:
The total cost variance for the Unit 4 SCR remains relatively unchanged compared to last
quarter's report. Currently, the Unit 4 SCR is approximately $6.8 million under the original cost
estimate.
Construction Progress Update:
The following is an update on the progress of the Unit 4 SCR.
During the Unit 4 outage, the internal flue gas reinforcement and the Unit 4 SCR tie-in were
completed. Mechanical Completion, an integral part of the transition from construction into the
commissioning phase, is the date when all components have been installed and the entire SCR
system is ready for functional testing and tuning. Notice of Unit 4 Mechanical Completion was
received from the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction ("EPC") Contractor on
November 3, 2016.
The Unit 4 SCR construction was turned over to Babcock & Wilcox and Perry Group (EPC
Contractor) for commissioning on October 29, 2016. Commissioning activities for the Unit 4
SCR encompass all the functional components of the SCR and will continue until the Unit 4
SCR is transferred to the Bridger Plant. These activities include: complete testing of the
various systems, testing of controls for proper function, mechanical equipment checks, and
system operations tests.
1
In keeping with the schedule, Unit 4 was brought online on November 4, 2016. SCR tuning and
performance testing will continue through December to prepare the unit for full compliance by
December 31, 2016.
PacifiCorp continues to work with its corporate environmental group to add aqueous ammonia,
the nitrogen oxides reduction reagent, to the list of permitted sources that can be disposed of in
the wastewater ponds at the Bridger Plant. The PacifiCorp environmental group is awaiting a
laboratory analysis of a waste aqueous ammonia sample to attach to the additional waste
source application for the wastewater ponds.
Schedule:
The project remains on schedule to comply with the required completion dates with the following
major milestones remaining:
• Unit 4 SCR performance tests completed by December 31, 2016
• Unit 4 Compliance Deadline is December 31, 2016
Conclusion:
The installation on the Unit 4 SCR controls at the Bridger Plant remains on schedule and under
budget. Based on what is known today, the SCR investments continue to be the most cost
effective means of ensuring that Units 3 and 4 comply with state and federal emissions
regulations. Further, the Company continues to believe that the Bridger Plant SCR investments
represent the lowest cost and least risk option for serving future customer demands.
2
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that on this 2"d day of December 2016 I served a true and
correct copy of the within 1ih QUARTERLY REPORT FOR THE JIM BRIDGER
SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION UPGRADE AT UNITS 3 AND 4, upon the following
named parties by the method indicated below, and addressed to the following:
Commission Staff
Karl Klein
Deputy Attorney General
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
472 West Washington (83702)
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-007 4
Industrial Customers of Idaho Power
Peter J. Richardson
Gregory M. Adams
RICHARDSON ADAMS, PLLC
515 North 2]1h Street (83702)
P.O. Box 7218
Boise, Idaho 83707
Dr. Don Reading
6070 Hill Road
Boise, Idaho 83703
Idaho Conservation League
Benjamin J. Otto
Idaho Conservation League
710 North Sixth Street
Boise, Idaho 83702
Snake River Alliance
Dean J. Miller
McDEVITT & MILLER LLP
420 West Bannock Street (83702)
P.O. Box 2564
Boise, Idaho 83701
Ken Miller, Clean Energy Program Director
Snake River Alliance
P.O. Box 1731
Boise, Idaho 83701
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