March 30, 2001--
In these days of skyrocketing electrical bills, imagine how you'd feel if your power company actually gave you money back, instead of raising your rates.
An energy rebate is exactly what more than 100,000 lucky people in Utah got.
And they could get it again.
They're reaping the benefits of the energy crisis, as Environment Specialist John Hollenhorst reports from Uintah County.
The Bonanza Power Plant is turning out to be a true "bonanza."
It was built southeast of Vernal two decades ago and is owned by six rural electrical co-ops.
The plant gobbles up 240 tons of coal every hour,
burns it at 2,500 degrees to make steam,
which cranks a massive turbine to produce 460 MegaWatts of electricity.
When they built Bonanza, the rural co-ops didn't need that much power. And they still don't.
STAN GORDON/BONANZA PLANT MANAGER: "THEY'RE NOT USING ALL THE POWER THAT WE PRODUCE RIGHT AT THIS TIME, NO."
In fact the co-ops use less than 20 percent of the electricity. The rest is sold, mostly to California. And lately, that means sky-high prices.
GRANT EARL/MOON LAKE ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION: "THAT'S ENABLED US TO NOT NECESSARILY TAKE ADVANTAGE, BUT TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF OUR PROJECTS."
Co-ops like Moon Lake Electric now have what they call "excess cash." In other words, juicy profits.
Late last year, Moon Lake distributed two million dollars to its Uintah Basin customers, in effect granting a month and a half or so of free electricity. More rebates are possible this year.
GRANT EARL/MOON LAKE ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION: "FORTUNATELY FOR THE CO-OPS, WE PLANNED AHEAD AND BUILT A PLANT THAT EXCEEDED OUR PRESENT NEEDS."
JOHN HOLLENHORST, REPORTING: "WHEN THE PLANT FIRST CAME ON LINE IN 1985, IT LOOKED LIKE A POSSIBLE TURKEY BECAUSE THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE GLUT OF ELECTRICITY. BUT NOW THE DECISION TO BUILD THE PLANT IS BEGINNING TO LOOK TO ITS OWNERS LIKE A STROKE OF GENIUS. "
GRANT EARL/MOON LAKE ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION: "WITH A LOT OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS, THAT PLANT NOW IS STARTING TO PAY FOR ITSELF."
The bubble could burst if prices fall. And if the plant stumbles, the co-ops themselves could wind up buying expensive power.
STAN GORDON/BONANZA PLANT MANAGER: "THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE, AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES FEEL IT, TO KEEP IT RUNNING."
Right now, this is one Bonanza that's paying off like a slot machine.
Plans are under consideration for a major expansion of the Bonanza plant.
But no decisions have been made yet.
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