Edwards Secures $4.5 Million To Upgrade Lake Whitney Powerhouse & Provide More Electricity for Area Residents

Edwards Secures $4.5 Million To Upgrade Lake Whitney Powerhouse & Provide More Electricity for Area Residents

Congressman Chet Edwards announced that he has secured $4.5 million to replace two turbines and upgrade generators at the Lake Whitney Powerhouse under the 2008 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which passed the House Tuesday.

"Demands for energy across the Lake Whitney region are increasing and it is important that the power plant is modernized to keep up with the demand," said Edwards, a senior member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. "By replacing turbines and upgrading hydropower capacity at the Lake Whitney Powerhouse, we will be able to provide electricity to 1,500 more area homes on average each year. It will also help lower the cost of electricity for cities and families throughout Central Texas by lowering the purchase price of energy during the high demand periods of hot and cold weather." Clifton Karnei, executive vice president and general manager of Brazos Electric Power Cooperative said, "We purchase this capacity from Southwest Power Administration (SWPA) and use the capacity during peak times to serve our consumers and Congressman Edwards's constituents. The power generated by this facility is renewable and helps to keep the cost of Cooperative power affordable." The Whitney Powerhouse was completed in 1949. It first went online and has been operating as a hydropower plant since 1953. The effects of age, increasing demand, and degraded capacity are resulting in a pattern of generator failures. The $4.5 million secured by Edwards will help replace two existing turbines and upgrade two generators that will result in a 12 megawatt increase in power capacity from 30 megawatts to 42 megawatts.

No funding was requested for Lake Whitney Powerhouse in the President's budget, so local officials requested that Edwards secure the funding under the 2008 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, which must still pass the Senate and be signed by the President.

"I will continue to work hard in the months ahead in support of this important, locally initiated project," concluded Edwards.

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