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GenerationWaverly Light and Power is frequently asked where our electricity comes from and how it's produced. A variety of sources enable our customers to enjoy the benefits of stable, low cost energy while allowing us to help the environment. In most years, 48.51% of our electricity comes from our ownership in a coal plant, the Louisa Generation Station. Contractual purchases account for another 46.15% of our energy while the remaining 5.34% is generated locally from wind, hydro, and diesel generators. 1. Coal from Wyoming is transported by train to the Louisa Generation Station near Muscatine, IA. Coal is burned to produce steam. The steam turns a turbine driving electric generators to produce electricity. The electricity is then sent through transformers and high voltage wires to Waverly. Once it is here, it is transformed into lower voltage and sent on to the customers. The WLP share of Louisa is a total capacity of 7,700 kilowatts. 2. Six generators are located on the north edge of Waverly in a building connected to the service center. The first generator was installed in 1948 and the most recent in 1993. The generators at the north plant have a 20,595 kilowatt capacity, and are used to provide backup energy in the event of storms or transmission outages. This allows WLP to purchase wholesale power on a lower cost basis. 3. Installed in 2001, just north of Waverly at the Russell Walther farm, we own a 900 kilowatt Wind Turbine that stands close to 325 feet tall and produces enough electricity to serve 261 homes. This allows WLP to provide electricity to our customers in an environmentally safe way. Instead of using fuel, wind turns the turbine to produce electricity. 4. Hydros also contribute to our electricity production. Located at Bremer Ave and 1st St. NE along the Cedar River, three small hydro generators were installed during the 1920's. Together, the capacity of the hydros is 495 kilowatts. Water, like wind, is another environmentally safe source used to produce electricity. 5. Waverly Light and Power purchases interruptible energy. This contract allows Waverly to meet the ever changing needs of our growing community. The remaining 45.46% of our energy was provided through this contract. 6. In the fall of 1998, we began construction of a building to house six new diesel generators. Now in place, these engines are capable of producing 12,000 kilowatts and ensure we can meet the demand of our customers during the hot summer months.
7. In June 2007, the Walter Scott Jr. Generating Station #4 (WS4) came online in Council Bluffs, IA. WS4 is the first plant in the U.S. to use advanced supercritical technology. Supercritical technology raises the operating temperature and uses water as a coolant which can significantly increase efficiency. Waverly Light & Power owns 3,160 kilowatts of capacity.
Generator Type and Capacity | Year Installed | Where | Fuel Type | Kilowatt Capacity | | | | | | | 1921 | Waverly | hydro | 120 | | 1923 | Waverly | hydro | 200 | | 1925 | Waverly | hydro | 175 | | 1938 | Waverly | diesel | 720 | | 1938 | Waverly | diesel | 720 | | 1942 | Waverly | diesel | 1,160 | | 1948 | Waverly | dual fuel | 1,245 | | 1952 | Waverly | dual fuel | 1,350 | | 1957 | Waverly | dual fuel | 3,500 | | 1967 | Waverly | dual fuel | 3,750 | | 1967 | Waverly | dual fuel | 3,750 | | 1983 | Louisa | coal | 7,700 | | 1993 | Waverly | wind | 80 | | 1993 | Waverly | diesel | 7,000 | | 2000 | Waverly | diesel | 12,000 | | 2007 | Council Bluffs | coal | 3,160 | *WLP does not have an ownership interest in a nuclear plant, although portions of our purchased power can come from such sources. |
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