The Wadsworth Generation Station is comprised of 10.8MW of diesel engines designed to help the City’s electric system offset the rising cost of transmission and capacity fees. These generating units may also be cycled (if needed) during an emergency outage situations, giving a redundant power source to a portion of our customer base.
Transmission and capacity charges are based on the days when energy demands are at their highest, such as the hottest days of summer. The best solution is generation units that can be started quickly, reduce the transmission load, and be shut down quickly once the peak is over. The benefits of reducing capacity and transmission costs flow directly back to our customers.
As a public power community, Wadsworth is a member of American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP). It is through AMP that the partnership with PowerSecure was developed – a competitive 10-year partnership – providing the whole package and no third-party contractors.
PowerSecure developed and installed the generating units, which are ultra-clean burning Volvo Diesel Tier 4 certified units, meeting the U.S. EPA stringent emissions control criteria. This certification is granted only to units capable of reducing emissions to the maximum extent technologically possible.