Thinking Ahead

You take a V-20 engine with a displacement of 38.1 L (2,328 cu in) and make sure it is turbocharged and after-cooled. How fast can you get from 0-60 mph? The answer is you can't - it is stationary. Did I mention that there are four of these engines?

On August 8th the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) dedicated the new Owatonna Energy Station. The station is equipped with four G20CM34 Caterpillar Power Plants. With these power plants the station can generate up to 38.8MW. The design of the station allows the flexibility to increase or decrease output to meet the intermittent demand as more and more wind and solar energy production becomes available.

Reliable electric service is essential to industry and subsequently a very important part of economic development. It is encouraging to see Owatonna Public Utilities and cohorts thinking ahead.

For more information on the new station go to the SMMPA website at www.smmpa.com.