Oil Spill Poses Risk to Gulf Power Plants
By Marianne Lavelle
National Geographic News
Published May 27, 2010
This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge.
Even before the big Deepwater Horizon spill, an oil boom stretched across the intake canal at the Anclote power plant near Holiday, Florida, just east of the Gulf of Mexico. It?s there to keep the oil in, should there be any accidental spill at the oil-fired electricity station. But now it?s part of Progress Energy?s defense plan for keeping the oil out.
The Anclote facility, which provides electricity to about 600,000 households north of Tampa-St. Petersburg, is just one of at least six power stations along the Gulf Coast that could be at risk from the crude spreading out from BP?s wrecked well site.
Progress Energy spokesman Scott Sutton emphasized that the current forecasts are for the strong loop current to carry oil south and away from its facilities in central Florida. But given the unpredictable Gulf weather, the size of the spill and electricity plant reliance on water, Progress has a team of environmental and systems experts meeting daily to track the spill?s progress and plan how to protect its power stations.
?We can?t wait until we physically see oil and say, ?What do we do now?? ? Sutton said. ?It would take a pretty severe wind storm to push it this way, but obviously, anything weather-dependent is pretty unpredictable.?
Power?s thirst for water
Full Story: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/102705-energy-oil-spill-risks-gulf-power-plants/
? 1996-2010 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.
By Marianne Lavelle
National Geographic News
Published May 27, 2010
This story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge.
Even before the big Deepwater Horizon spill, an oil boom stretched across the intake canal at the Anclote power plant near Holiday, Florida, just east of the Gulf of Mexico. It?s there to keep the oil in, should there be any accidental spill at the oil-fired electricity station. But now it?s part of Progress Energy?s defense plan for keeping the oil out.
The Anclote facility, which provides electricity to about 600,000 households north of Tampa-St. Petersburg, is just one of at least six power stations along the Gulf Coast that could be at risk from the crude spreading out from BP?s wrecked well site.
Progress Energy spokesman Scott Sutton emphasized that the current forecasts are for the strong loop current to carry oil south and away from its facilities in central Florida. But given the unpredictable Gulf weather, the size of the spill and electricity plant reliance on water, Progress has a team of environmental and systems experts meeting daily to track the spill?s progress and plan how to protect its power stations.
?We can?t wait until we physically see oil and say, ?What do we do now?? ? Sutton said. ?It would take a pretty severe wind storm to push it this way, but obviously, anything weather-dependent is pretty unpredictable.?
Power?s thirst for water
Full Story: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/102705-energy-oil-spill-risks-gulf-power-plants/
? 1996-2010 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.