ATLANTA, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Life in the Chattahoochee River will
get a little bit cooler as the first of two cooling towers at Georgia
Power's Plant McDonough in Smyrna begins commercial operation next week.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGO )
The $96 million cooling towers are the culmination of an agreement
between Georgia Power and the state Environmental Protection Division in
2000 to lessen the environmental impact of discharged water into the
Chattahoochee River.
"The towers will help to enrich the river's habitat by improving the
dissolved oxygen levels in the river and by allowing the river to better
assimilate the treated waste water that is returned to the river from
upstream sewage treatment plants," said Chuck Huling, Georgia Power's vice
president of environmental affairs.
Each cooling tower is 550 feet long, 73 feet wide and 55 feet high.
Each is designed to lower the temperature of 137,000 gallons of water per
minute by 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Reducing the temperature of the water discharges will greatly reduce
the plant's thermal effect on the river," said Tony Tramonte, Plant
McDonough manager. "Making the decision to install these cooling towers was
the right thing to do for the river and the region."
The second cooling tower will begin commercial operation in April.
Georgia Power has installed state-of-the-art plume abatement technology
on the towers to reduce evaporational loss and minimize fogging and misting
in nearby areas during cold, damp weather.
Plant McDonough consists of two coal-fired units, with a total
generating capacity of 540 megawatts. In 2012, these units will be replaced
with three natural gas combined-cycle units totaling 2,520 megawatts. The
cooling towers being installed now will also be used for the new
combined-cycle units.
In addition to improving the environment through the installation of
cooling towers, Georgia Power is also working to make other improvements by
increasing its renewable energy portfolio, both through the purchase of
energy from renewable generators and through investments in self-owned
renewable generation. Additionally, Georgia Power will invest $43 million
annually in 18 different demand response and energy efficiency programs,
including six new programs recently approved by the Georgia Public Service
Commission. These programs are expected to reduce electricity demand by
1,000 megawatts by 2010.
Over the past two years, through promotion of the Change a Light
campaign, Georgia Power has distributed more than 200,000 compact
fluorescent light bulbs to consumers across Georgia who have pledged to
change at least one standard light bulb in their home to a compact
fluorescent bulb.
As a national leader for ENERGY STAR Change a Light pledges, Georgia
Power received the 2007 Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion Award.
Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the
nation's largest generators of electricity. Georgia Power's rates are well
below the national average, and its 2.3 million customers are in all but
four of Georgia's 159 counties. For more information, visit
http://www.georgiapower.com.
SOURCE Georgia Power
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Related links:
http://www.georgiapower.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050216/CLW066LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Jeff Wilson of Georgia Power,
+1-404-506-7676, +1-800-282-1696
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