Excel Energy – Reactor Shut Downs

Fox 9 News

I’ve been hearing rumblings of a power cable being cut at PI and the parts to repair it not being available until sometime next week.

Also, Excel not wanting to pay over time to get at least one reactor up and running (refueled). In fact maneuvering schedule to ensure over time isn’t paid and the outage to last longer.

I would never expect anyone to help pay for flooding. It’s a river. I’m happy when it doesn’t flood. However when a company screws up, it would help their image to do more then to send out a notice, then tell you “you’re on your own”.

When anyone chooses to store a boat on the Miss in that section are you guaranteed that the reactors are to remain active?

I feel that one would know that it is a possible situation that could arise when signing up to have a boat on the water down there year round.

Don’t get me wrong it’s an incredibly sh!tty situation for folks. Wish ya the best. Maybe the next ido gtg could be a bk bring ur chisel and clear the way party. I’m in!

Just curious.

If both reactors are shut down at the same time, what’s generating electricity?
I mean that plant powers a lot of area so what’s keeping the lights on?

I hear you Deuces, but after 25 years of being ice free?

On the other hand their license has been extended to 2033. What’s to come after that, who knows.

haleysgold wrote:

If both reactors are shut down at the same time, what’s generating electricity?

Excel buys energy from it’s competitors.

They won’t pay OT to get 1 back up and running but they can buy from their competitors…

Hmmm, doesn’t sound like a very good business strategy but hey, maybe there won’t be so many trucks falling through the ice at Frontenac this year.
Or maybe more if they don’t let the public know when they turn it back on!

I bet most people have no idea. I know I wouldn’t if I didn’t read it here.

haleysgold wrote:

They won’t pay OT to get 1 back up and running but they can buy from their competitors…

Hmmm, doesn’t sound like a very good business strategy but hey, maybe there won’t be so many trucks falling through the ice at Frontenac this year.
Or maybe more if they don’t let the public know when they turn it back on!

Excel is strange that way. They won’t talk about reactor shut downs or start ups because they don’t want the competition to know in the case they would raise prices.

Well I spose if Power Company B knows when Power Company A is going to want to buy energy, B could raise the price.

I didn’t think it worked that way but then I’m not in that biz.

They don’t really “buy” energy, they and a few other companies share grids and trade energy. The big power lines that go down 94 are Excel, Ottertail Power, and another one. OTP is almost out of the producing game, and just in that transmission sharing game. Them and Excel just built a big solar field up here that looks like total crap. I though people would be happy the river is going to freeze, thats the big benefit they sell us as they take out the hydro and coal plants up here.

In my opinion, if a company is using natural resources (which everyone owns and has access to) to profit or run their business and then changes a resource or water temperatures downstream…..they should have an obligation to go above and beyond to make people aware of changes they cause.

I knew about this but I live here and spend more time on the river than the average person. Many casual recreators or people who live around here have no idea.

There’s been plenty of ice on Pepin for anyone willing to give it a shot fishing forever. The big change is that those who fish the river from a boat will likely be unable to for parts of the year, and those who do ice fish it could have thinning ice on certain areas unsuspectingly during the coldest part of the year (early February) if it comes back online. People who fish upstream of Maiden Rock/Point no Point from the ice will potentially see the biggest variability.

Hopefully people do their due diligence to monitor ice conditions and take responsibility for their own safety as they always should while on the ice. People using boats better check conditions and access daily. I know we were once “stranded” somewhat on Pool 5 when we launched and came back to a 20 yard wide ice sheet that was a good 3″ thick blocking the landing. That was a pain to deal with.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>haleysgold wrote:</div>
If both reactors are shut down at the same time, what’s generating electricity?

Excel buys energy from it’s competitors.

In the event a utility can’t serve its load with its own generation, it simply buys excess energy capacity off of the open market. Not really “buying from its competitors” but similar. Energy surpluses/deficits are extremely common – it would actually be pretty incredible if a utility generated only the exact amount of energy it needs to serve its own load. There’s a lot less collusion going on than you think.

Also, these reactors don’t “serve that entire area”. Energy is free flowing and is not consumed in the same place it is generated. Once you tap into the grid (MISO market in Xcels case), that energy can be used anywhere on that grid. Just because there is a reactor down the street doesn’t mean that is where your energy is coming from.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk