Wadsworth Generating Station

The two Wadsworth Generation Stations are each comprised of 10.8MWs (megawatts) of diesel engine generated power. These units are interconnected to the Holmesbrook and Industrial Park substations. These are designed to help the City owned electric system offset the rising cost of transmission and capacity fees during peak electric usage days. These generating units may also be cycled, if needed, during emergency outage situations. This results in giving a redundant power source to a portion of our customer base.

Transmission and capacity charges are based on the days when energy demands are at their highest, such as the hottest days of summer or the coldest days in the winter. The best solution being generation units that can be started quickly, reduce the transmission load and be shut down quickly once the peak is over. The benefits of reducing capacity and transmission costs flow directly back to our customers. 

PowerSecure developed and installed the generating units. Each contains ultra-clean burning Volvo Diesel Tier 4 certified units, meeting the U.S. EPA stringent emissions control criteria. This certification is granted only to units capable of reducing emissions to the maximum extent technologically possible. 

As a Public Power community, Wadsworth is a member of American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP). It is through AMP that the partnership with PowerSecure was developed – a competitive 10-year partnership – providing the whole package and no third-party contractors.