Laramie River Station
{{Infobox power station
| name = Laramie River Station
| name_official =
| image = Laramie River Station.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = Laramie River Station
| image_alt =
| location_map_size =
| location_map_caption = Location of the Laramie River Station in Wyoming
| coordinates = {{coord|42|6|26|N|104|53|14|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| country = United States
| location = Platte County, Wyoming
| status = O
| construction_began =
| commissioned = 1980,
last unit: 1982
| decommissioned =
| cost =
| owner = Basin Electric Power Cooperative
| operator =
| th_fuel_primary = Sub-bituminous{{Cite web|url= https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/6204?freq=A&start=2016&end=2018&ctype=linechart<ype=pin&columnchart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.6204-ALL-ALL.A&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.6204-ALL-ALL.A&maptype=0&pin=|access-date=2020-03-03|title=Electricity Data Browser }}
| th_fuel_secondary =
| th_fuel_tertiary =
| ps_units_manu_model =
| th_cogeneration =
| th_combined_cycle =
| ps_electrical_capacity= 1,710 MW{{Cite web|url=https://www.basinelectric.com/Facilities/Laramie-River|title=Laramie River Station|last=|first=|website=Basin Electric Power Cooperative|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=3 March 2020}}
| ps_electrical_cap_fac= 71.36% (2018)
| website =
| extra =
}}
Laramie River Station is a major coal-fired power plant, located in Platte County, Wyoming. It is operated by Basin Electric Power Cooperative and owned jointly by several of its member cooperatives. It is the second largest coal-fired power plant in Wyoming by capacity.{{cite report |author= Wyoming State Geological Survey |date=1 February 2012|title= Wyoming's Electrical Generation |url= https://www.wsgs.wyo.gov/products/wsgs-2012-electricalgeneration-summary.pdf|access-date=3 March 2020}} The station currently employs 300 workers.{{cite news|date= 2018-10-15|title=Dozens take buyouts at Wheatland power plant |url= https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/news/wyoming/article_f267393b-636d-5586-8679-09f676aa2913.html|work=Gillette News Record |access-date=3 March 2020}} Electricity produced at the station is distributed to across Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado. Three similar units (each 570 MWe nameplate capacity) were launched in the early 1980s.{{Cite web|url=http://www.energyjustice.net/map/displayfacility-66056.htm|title=Laramie River Station|last=|first=|website= Energy Justice Network|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=3 March 2020}}
Emissions
Due to its size, Laramie River Station is one of the highest emitting power stations in the United States. In 2011 the station was ranked 28th in the nation for Carbon dioxide emissions producing 12.2 million metric tons.{{cite report |author= Environment America Research & Policy Center |date=1 November 2013|title= America's Dirtiest Power Plants |url= https://environmentamericacenter.org/sites/environment/files/reports/Dirty%20Power%20Plants.pdf|access-date=3 March 2020}}
A 2011 joint report by the Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice, and the Sierra Club found Laramie River Station to be the fourth highest emitter of toxic heavy metals including chromium, arsenic, lead, and mercury.{{cite news |date=7 December 2011|title=Second fire at Laramie River Station injures three workers |url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eip-ohio-pennsylvania-indiana-kentucky-and-texas-are-top-states-in-terms-of-toxic-power-plant-air-pollution-135184473.html|work=PR Newswire |access-date=3 March 2020}}
To continue operations at Laramie River Station, in 2017 Basin Electric Power Cooperative reached an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the plant by using SCR and SNCR equipment.{{cite report |author= United States Environmental Protection Agency |date=19 May 2019|title= Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Wyoming; Revisions to Regional Haze State Implementation Plan; Revisions to Regional Haze Federal Implementation Plan |url= https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/05/20/2019-09922/approval-and-promulgation-of-air-quality-implementation-plans-wyoming-revisions-to-regional-haze|access-date=3 March 2020}}{{cite news |last=Rogers |first=Alan |date= 10 January 2017|title=Basin Electric: settlement will keep Wheatland plant open |url= https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/basin-electric-settlement-will-keep-wheatland-plant-open/article_5c49ac60-e1ca-5fd9-84e0-674b07a4fe28.html|work=Billings Gazette |access-date=3 March 2020}} Emissions control equipment became operational in 2019.{{cite news |date=22 January 2019|title=SNCR reducing emissions at Laramie River Station |url= https://basinelectric.com/news-center/news-briefs/sncr-reducing-emissions-laramie-river-station | access-date=3 March 2020}}
Incidents
In September 2009, 17 welders were unknowingly exposed to radioactive element Caesium-137.{{cite news |last=Wald |first=Matthew |date=30 August 2010|title=And You Thought Radiation Was a Problem for Nuclear Plants? |url= https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/30/and-you-thought-radiation-was-a-problem-for-nuclear-plants/|work=The New York Times |access-date=3 March 2020}}
On May 19, 2013, an explosion injured 3 workers following an outbreak of fires at the plant on the previous week.{{cite news |last=Voge |first=Adam |date=21 March 2013|title=Second fire at Laramie River Station injures three workers |url= https://trib.com/business/energy/second-fire-at-laramie-river-station-injures-three-workers/article_d64d26f0-8416-5661-b0de-030fc65cf567.html|work=Star Tribune |access-date=3 March 2020}}
See also
{{Portal|Wyoming|Energy}}