ARPA/LUB Scholarships Announced; Exploration of New Power Source Continues

Lamar Repowering Project

The Lamar Utility Board held a brief general meeting before moving into executive session regarding the assets of the Lamar Repowering Project.  Prior to that, the December 2014 Financial Report was delivered which showed that cash was up $159,533 from November and accounts receivable increased by $155,456.  There was a gross operating loss for the month as total operating revenue was $1,007,607 for the month, compared to total operating costs of $1,036,321 for a gross operating loss of $28,714.  Total operating revenues for the year were $13,514,607 and total operating costs were $11,187,337 for a gross operating profit of $2,327,271.  This resulted in a net profit for the year of $143,439 year to date.

Three recipients were selected from ten entries for this year’s LUB/ARPA $1,000 combined scholarship.  The students chosen by the selection committee are:  Keaton Buxton of McClave, Andra Gutierrez of Wiley and Amber Comer from Lamar.  Of the ten, six had completed the necessary requirements to qualify for consideration.  Two were from Lamar, Wiley had one entry and three hailed from McClave.

Keaton Buxton

Keaton Buxton is active in the FFA, FBLA, National Honor Society and the Collegiate Farm Bureau to list a few of his accomplishments.  He plans to finish his Associate of Science Degree, complete a vocational certificate and play golf for Lamar Community College.  He wants to attain a BS degree in Engineering Technology from West Texas A & M.

Andra Gutierrez

Andra Gutierrez will be valedictorian for Wiley’s graduation class.  She’s a member of Family Career and Community Leaders of America, student council and Head Girl in her senior year.  She intends to go to the University of Northern Colorado to pursue her dream of becoming a Psychologist who works with adolescent teenage girls who have been released from a juvenile detention center.

Amber Comer

Amber Comer, like Keaton Buxton, attends both high school and Lamar Community College where she completed her Associates of General Sciences degree. She belongs to the NHS, FFA and 4-H and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.   Amber intends to attain a degree in Animal Science with an emphasis on Agriculture Education at West Texas A & M this fall.

The judging process did not identify any of the applicants by name of school association.  The committee judged them solely on their academic achievements and community involvement.

During the April meeting, Light Plant Superintendent, Houssin Hourieh, explained that the board decided to discount labor, truck time and equipment use costs to move a 280 foot, high voltage 25KV power line at Prowers Medical Center which connects the clinic to the main hospital.  The renovation work at the hospital found that the conduit lies under the construction site.  The total cost to move the line was $24,216. With the waiver of costs from the board, the balance on the project was $14,376.  Hourieh said work on that task is underway this week, using a computer guided drilling system that keeps the entire project underground.  “It eliminates paving, truck traffic or interruption to above ground activities for the hospital construction firm,” he explained.

Energy developers, GreenCastle and Quanta Engineering, are continuing their studies at the Light Plant, seeking the best case scenario of constructing a natural gas power plant.  Hourieh said the Board is looking at financial options that would allow construction of a replacement gas generator.  “It would be a stand-alone unit that would develop from 25 to 30 megawatts, the same as we had before.  The catch is the busbar cost has to be competitive with the existing contract for power from Twin Eagles.”  The Plant Superintendent explained that the new plant would sell its power production to Twin Eagles during the life of the current contract, existing until 2025, so long as the production costs match.  The long range goal is to have a local power production plant as Lamar did before the Repowering Project was conceived.

By Russ Baldwin