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Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power directors tour the Duane Arnold Energy Center, a nuclear power plant near Palo, IA.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative - July 20, 2010
Power plants – Basin Electric has a lot of them. But not like this one. This is the Duane Arnold Energy Center. On July 12, 2010, Basin Electric and Corn Belt Power directors had a rare opportunity to tour the power plant and see how energy from splitting atoms can be harnessed. The Duane Arnold Energy Center is a nuclear power plant near Palo, IA operated by NextEra Energy.
Basin Electric Class A member Corn Belt Power Cooperative has a 10 percent ownership share in the Duane Arnold power plant. Basin Electric purchases that capacity through a purchase power agreement with Corn Belt Power. About 10 percent of its 610 megawatt capacity is now included in Basin Electric’s generating portfolio - a first for Basin Electric.
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Wayne Render of NextEra Energy explains to directors |
Paul Hansen of NextEra Energy (left) shows Basin Electric |
Duane Arnold has a boiling water reactor. Heat generated from nuclear fission in the reactor is used to heat water into steam. From that point on, it generates electricity much like Basin Electric’s coal-based power plants — the steam turns a turbine, which turns the generator, which makes electricity.
