Grand River Dam Authority Dedicates New Power Generation Plant

Officials with the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) dedicated its new power unit alongside partners, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and The Industrial Company. This third power unit is the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

This new, high-efficiency combined cycle gas plant is fueled by Oklahoma’s abundant supply of natural gas. The $500 million project began construction in January 2015 after the adoption of GRDA’s new, long-term electric generation plan. The “grand and greener” plan also includes a retrofit of the emissions control equipment located on GRDA’s Unit 2 coal-generator, as well as a commitment to increase wind generation capacity within the GRDA energy portfolio of coal, hydro, wind and other gas generation.

“This is a customer-driven plan that complements the ever-increasing percentage of renewable energy in the regional market, and positions GRDA as a leader in the transformation of the U.S. energy sector,” GRDA CEO Dan Sullivan said. “With our customers' long-term, supportive commitment, GRDA invested in their collective future with the best technology available in the U.S.”

The use of natural gas provides benefits to the environment, greater flexibility to the power grid and renewed economic development in gas-rich regions of the country, like Oklahoma. Output from Unit 3 will bolster reliability and will further diversify GRDA’s generation portfolio.

“Affordable energy is required to power economic growth,” said Ken Wagner, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency senior advisor for Regional Affairs. “The GRDA and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems are commended for the foresight and leadership to invest in a long-term strategy to grow a supply of power that is economical while also improving the environment.”

GRDA’s Unit 3 is an M501J advanced-class gas turbine and is the first “J-class” turbine to be constructed by Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems at its Savannah Machinery Works facility in Georgia.

“The Grand River Dam Authority asked us to provide the people of Oklahoma the most efficient and reliable power plant available," said Paul Browning, president and CEO of MHPS Americas. "We’re proud to announce that the first J-series in the Americas beat our performance guarantee and achieved 62% combined cycle efficiency. GRDA now owns the first 60 hertz combined cycle power plant in the world to make this claim.”