Power Flux

Power Flux

Power demand to increased by 43megawatt within 10 years

Wednesday, 02 December 2009 04:11 by Jude Lizama | Variety News Staff

ENERGY demand is projected to increase by a total of 43 megawatt within a 10-year period of fluctuating population growth, and the Department of Defense plans to upgrade the Guam Power Authority’s existing facilities to meet the power requirements, according to the draft environmental impact study.


The impact report anticipates the island will need to absorb approximately 7,000 people by next year. The population explosion soars by 2014 with 40,000 new residents before sliding back slightly by 2019 with 10,000 more people than today, if the impact report numbers are reliable.

With so many new residents in the ensuing years, the island wide power grid will see correlated demands on the electrical system. Initially demand will increase by 4.93 megawatts from the current peak demand production of 281.5 megawatts. This is projected to occur by next year.

However in 2014, megawattage requirements zoom by a whopping scale of nearly 30 MW. Within five years following that explosive increase Guam’s power grid is zapped once again with an expected demand increase of 7.88 megawatts.

Current demand

According to the Guam Economic Development Authority’s website, GPA currently provides service to 45,751 customers with an annual budget of approximately $291 million. Current peak system demand to date is 281.5 MW with a 98 percent reserve margin.

GPA has an installed generation capacity of 552.2 MW gross including 181 MW from independent power producers. GPA has organized 210.6 MW of its base load capacity under two Performance Management Contracts.

With the increase in electrical demands just over the horizon, the study cited various alternatives to enhance island wide power capabilities in order to meet anticipated demand over the coming years.

The Consolidated Commission on Utilities is hoping to arrange a power integration system with the defense department to produce power that will be shared by the military and civilian communities.

Option

The preferred “Interim Alternative 1” requires reconditioning of existing combustion turbines and further upgrades to GPAs transmission and distribution systems.

Upgrades which the impact study suggested would create “new construction or enlargement of the existing footprint of the GPA facility” adding, efforts to undertake the initiative should be undertaken by the local power authority on its existing facilities.

Reconditioning facilities would most likely occur at Marbo, Yigo, Dededo No. 1, and Macheche sites which the military report notes as not currently being used to permit limits.

Transmission and distribution system upgrades would also be vital to supplying the military as a consumer with quality and consistent power supply. The impact report considered above ground and subterranean transmission lines as part of an initiative to adequately address through upgrades supply and demand logistics as well.