{"id":4918,"date":"2012-01-24T07:56:04","date_gmt":"2012-01-24T13:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/?p=4918"},"modified":"2013-11-15T20:37:02","modified_gmt":"2013-11-16T02:37:02","slug":"what-happened-at-the-sandy-creek-power-plant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/01\/24\/what-happened-at-the-sandy-creek-power-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happened at the Sandy Creek Power Plant?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_4919\"  class=\"wp-caption module image center\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Rancher Robert Cervenka and other locals want to know what happened at the plant.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle387.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4919\" title=\"edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle387\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle387-620x413.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle387-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle387-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle387-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath\/KUT<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the dark: Rancher Robert Cervenka and other locals want to know what happened near their properties.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong><em>Update: Read<a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2012\/08\/22\/a-bit-of-the-mystery-behind-the-sandy-creek-power-plant-begins-to-unravel\/\"> more about the accident at the plant here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The field behind Robert Cervenka\u2019s ranch in the small town of Riesel, Texas is scattered with historic equipment. There are horse-drawn plows and pickup trucks from bygone eras. Want to know what a 1954 John Deer tractor looks like? He\u2019ll be happy to oblige. Cervenka\u2019s been ranching since he was eight years old.<\/p>\n<p>And now he\u2019s eighty-one.\u00a0\u201cAt my age I don\u2019t want to buy any new tractors or anything,&#8221; he says, chuckling.<\/p>\n<p>But not everything here is antique. A few years ago, much to his chagrin, Cervenka got a brand new coal-fired power plant as a neighbor, right next door to his ranch. The Sandy Creek Power Station was set to produce 925 megawatts of electricity for this energy hungry state, enough to power an estimated 900,000 homes. The chimney from the plant rises 360 feet in the air, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kiewit.com\/districts\/kiewit-power\/projects\/Project.aspx?pid=%7BEE7658FA-F440-440E-95C1-E71C679A4682%7D\">higher than the Taj Mahal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cervenka opposed it, but in the end he watched from his field as it was built, and watched as plumes of steam and smoke first rose from it last fall.\u00a0\u201cThey were what\u2019s called cooking the boilers,&#8221; he recalls. &#8220;They were heating them up and making steam and trying to blow out all the pipes and tubing that may had welders slag or tools or anything in the pipes. And then one day, all of a sudden, it quit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s still not clear exactly what happened at the plant the day it quit on Oct. 17th last year.<!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2011\/11\/14\/coal-power-on-hold-at-proposed-plants\/\">Coal Power on Hold at Proposed Plants<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2011\/12\/01\/will-the-lights-stay-on-in-texas\/\">Will the Lights Stay On in\u00a0Texas?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2011\/12\/02\/power-plant-shutdowns-delays-could-mean-more-blackouts-next-year\/\">Power Plant Shutdowns, Delays Could Mean More Blackouts Next\u00a0Year<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2011\/12\/14\/regulating-the-price-of-power-in-texass-deregulated-market\/\">Regulating the Price of Power in Texas\u2019 Deregulated Market<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/07\/Powerline_01-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/2011-blackouts\/\">A Guide to the 2011 Texas Blackouts<\/a><\/p><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2011\/08\/Emissions-2-60x60.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/texas-and-epa\/\">Understanding the Conflict Between Texas and the\u00a0EPA<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Tight-Lipped Owners and Regulators<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Rumors are floating around Riesel like particulate emissions. The townspeople talk of an accident in which the boiler was heated with no water inside, another theory holds that the system was simply overheated. But no one will confirm exactly what happened.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.lspower.com\/about.htm\">LS Power<\/a>, one of the companies that spearheaded the project, never returned calls for comment. The<a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/lcra\/\"> Lower Colorado River Authority<\/a>, another group that has a contract for power from the plant, would only confirm that they have a minority interest in the project.<\/p>\n<p>The<a href=\"http:\/\/www.brazoselectric.com\/\"> Brazos Electric Cooperative<\/a>, another partner, offered at least a few details. They said the boiler was severely damaged, but wouldn\u2019t say more because of an \u201cinvestigation.&#8221; What kind of investigation? They won\u2019t go into detail, but Robert Cervenka, the rancher, has his own theory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomebody\u2019s gotta be upset and I imagine there\u2019s gotta be lawsuits from here until hell freezes over about this kind of thing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4924\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle459.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4924\" title=\"edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle459\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle459-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle459-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle459-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle459-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath\/KUT<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"> <\/p><\/div>\n<p>Kent Saathoff, who&#8217;s in charge of planning and operations for the <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/ercot\/\">Electric Reliability Council of Texas<\/a>\u00a0(ERCOT), which oversees the grid that powers most of Texas, won&#8217;t say much either.\u00a0\u201cAs far as status of specific power plants are concerned, we\u2019re pretty limited on the information we can give out about that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Saathoff says competitive secrets are a necessity in Texas. Why?\u00a0It all comes down to the oft-confusing world of deregulated electricity markets:\u00a0Plant builders enter into contracts to sell their power. If they don\u2019t have power to sell, they might need to buy it on the open market from someone else.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously if that alternate supplier knows that they\u2019re \u201cover a barrel\u201d so to speak, they can be taken advantage of,&#8221; Saathoff says. &#8220;So that\u2019s one example of why power plant status and information is largely protected.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4920\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"The Sandy Creek power plant was supposed to be running by now.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle346.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4920\" title=\"edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle346\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle346-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle346-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle346-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle346-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath\/KUT<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sandy Creek power plant was supposed to be running by now.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>What the Accident Means for the Grid<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>An accident at the plant means one thing for its operators, who might prefer that the information stays protected. But what does it mean for the state of Texas? Before the accident, <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/ercot\/\">ERCOT<\/a> thought it would be getting more than 900 Megawatts of new power from the plant in 2012. That was energy that Texas couldn\u2019t afford to lose.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast summer, when we had very hot weather it was the hottest summer in recorded history, and we had very high loads, we came very close to rolling outages,&#8221; Saathoff says.<\/p>\n<p>After the Sandy Creek accident, the state was worried it <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/2011\/12\/01\/will-the-lights-stay-on-in-texas\/\">wouldn\u2019t have enough capacity<\/a> to buffer itself in times of peak electricity use.<\/p>\n<p>Geoffrey Gay, a lawyer who works on electric rates, says there wasn\u2019t much the state could do about it.\u00a0\u201cDeregulation means that the regulators have given up their right to control the supply of power,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>So there was a sigh of relief when two coal plants that were expected to be shut down announced they would stay in service as part of an <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/topic\/texas-and-epa\/\">ongoing battle between the state of Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>\u00a0(EPA). But the episode does illustrate exactly how fragile the grid is these days in Texas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would say that ERCOT officials would say, yes they dodged a bullet and they are quite relieved,&#8221; Gay says.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4922\"  class=\"wp-caption module image left\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Robert Cervenka has been ranching this land for over seventy years.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle439.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4922\" title=\"edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle439\" alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle439-300x199.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle439-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle439-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/files\/2012\/01\/edited_2012_01_11_Waco_Power_Cattle439-220x146.jpg 220w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Photo by Jeff Heimsath\/KUT<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Robert Cervenka has been ranching for over seventy years.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Locals Watch With Concern<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/strong>Back in Reisel, the failing of the plant might illustrate something more. Potatoes are boiling in the kitchen of Lorrain and Lewis Pulley. They have a view of the power plant through their window. And they can watch parts of it being disassembled.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe public\u2019s gonna pay for everything,&#8221; Lorrain Pulley says. &#8220;I don\u2019t see any way around it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Like their neighbor Robert Cervenka, the Pulleys opposed the plant. But as rate payers in the Brazos Electric Cooperative, the largest generation and transmission cooperative in the state, they are also, in a sense, part owners of Sandy Creek. As such, Lorraine&#8217;s suspicion might not be far off the mark, says Geoffrey Gay.\u00a0\u201cYou would anticipate that perhaps the power cost will go up a little bit for those customers who are part owners,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p>The Brazos Electric Cooperative now expects Sandy Creek to come online sometime in early 2013, although they say that date may change.<\/p>\n<h5>For weeks ahead of the accident, steam rose from the plant as part of its commissioning process. This video, taken over a month before the accident, captured some of that process:<\/h5>\n<p>http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6g060Kme018<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An accident at the plant means one thing for its operators, who might prefer that the information stays secret. But what does it mean for the state of Texas? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":4919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[59],"tags":[14,76,31],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4918"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4952,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4918\/revisions\/4952"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/texas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}