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Laramie River Station

The Laramie River Station is located near Wheatland, WY.

The Laramie River Station, located east of Wheatland, WY, is one of the largest consumer-operated, regional, joint power supply ventures in the United States.

Laramie River Station generates more power

The Missouri Basin Power Project (MBPP), a group of six electric utilities, owns the plant and adjacent facilities. Basin Electric is a 42.27 percent owner of the project and is also its operating agent.

The other five MBPP participants are:

• Heartland Consumers Power District, Madison, SD
• Lincoln Electric System, Lincoln, NE
• Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association,
  Westminster, CO
• Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Ortonville, MN
• Wyoming Municipal Power Agency, Lusk, WY

Laramie River Station has three coal-based units, each with 550 megawatts of capacity. Units 1, 2 and 3 began operating in 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.

The electricity produced at Laramie River is sent to substations in Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado, where it is then delivered to MBPP Participants.

Laramie River is unique because it delivers electricity to two separate electrical grids. Unit 1 is connected to the Eastern Interconnection, while units 2 and 3 are connected to the Western Interconnection. These grids, which divide the United States into two sections, were developed independently and must be served separately.

Grayrocks Dam and Reservoir

Located 11 miles east of Laramie River Station, the Grayrocks Reservoir is the principal water source for the plant. Along with other groundwater sources, it provides up to 23,250 acre-feet of water annually for steam production and cooling at the plant.

The reservoir, which is about eight miles long, includes recreational facilities and a visitor overlook. Several species of game fish are stocked in the reservoir.

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• Laramie River Station
• Glossary

Did you know?

• Boiler height: 225 feet
• Stack height: 605 feet
• Construction costs: $1.6 billion
• Environmental controls investment: $330 million
• Fuel consumption: 375 tons of pulverized coal per hour (per unit)
• Fuel supply: Sub-bituminous coal supplied by Western Fuels Association
• Grayrocks eservoir capacity: 104,000 acre-feet
• Horsepower: 600,000  per unit

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Contact information

Laramie River Station
347 Grayrocks Road
PO Box 489
Wheatland, WY 82201-0489
Tel: 307.322.9601