How TVA prepares for extreme heat
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Workers here at the Caledonia Combine Cycle Plant have been working hard since the beginning of the summer to make sure its residents have electricity throughout the hottest time of year.
“We do a lot for summer preparedness here, and we do have our annual spring analyzation to prepare the units for a long summer run, and we make sure they are reliable,” said Michael Belu, Caledonia Combine Cycle Plant Maintenance.
The spring analysis includes plant workers going into units, doing internal inspections, and looking for any issues that may present a problem during the summer. Caledonia Combine Cycle Plant Maintenance Manager Michael Belu said making sure the community has sufficient power is his top priority, as the maintenance manager.
“Here at Caledonia, we have three one on one combined cycle plant units. It is about 850 megawatts, and that is enough to power about 500,000 homes,” said Belu.
“The nuclear plants are basically just based load plants. They run 24/7 at a sustained load. Here at the combined cycle, we have the ability to bring the load up and down as needed by the system. We can cycle off at night, we can bring the unit back up in the morning, can adjust our loads, or do whatever the system needs. So, we are very flexible,” said Belu
Belu says because of the amount of electricity that is being used during this time of year, does put extra wear and tear on the system. He said doing one small thing can help your energy bill and the company’s use of energy.
“The load demand is very high in the summer because everyone is running air conditioners, and that does put a strain on the grids. So, bringing your air conditioner up a couple of degrees helps a tremendous bit”
Belu also said there was an emphasis on summer preparedness across all 152 of TVA’s partners.
