It’s not due to routine maintenance and it’s not due to a power outage. The generators at the Princeton power plant have been running this week due to the cold snap impacting the Midwest and much of the U.S. right now.
Mayor Joel Quiram explained during Tuesday’s city council meeting that the cost of electricity on the open market has spiked due to the cold weather and high demand for power. The city purchases its electricity through the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency. (IMEA). With the cost of power so high right now, it’s cheaper for Princeton to generate its own electricity at this time rather than buying it on the open market.
The generators have been running since Monday, and Quiram said they most likely would run through Wednesday, possibly Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, he wrote on his mayor Facebook page, “It’s another reason to appreciate our own generating plant and all city electric employees who generate the power and maintain the lines to our homes and businesses.”
Princeton runs its 38-megawatt power plant as an emergency back up. In a moment’s notice, members of the department are able to fire up the plant’s eight dual fuel engines to restore power throughout the community.
Source: The Daily Chronicle
Be First to Comment