Intermountain Power Agency
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The Intermountain Power Agency located in Utah is responsible for running the Intermountain Power Project near Delta, Utah, a coal fired power plant capable of generating approximately 1800 megawatts. The IPA also runs transmission lines to Mona, Utah, to Adelanto, California and near Ely, Nevada.
The original power plant comprised two units each with a generation capacity of 950 MW (1,270,000 hp). Construction on the plant began in September 1981. Commercial operation of unit 1 started in June 1986, and unit 2 in May 1987. The boiler houses of the Intermountain Power Plant are 91.75 metres (301 ft) and the chimney is 213.67 metres (701 ft) tall. The HVDC Intermountain transmission line runs between Intermountain Power Plan and Adelanto, California.
About 75 percent of the generated power is purchased by cities in southern California and the remainder is purchased by cities, cooperatives and Pacificorp in Utah and a cooperative in Nevada. The plant employs about 500 people and contributes significantly to the Millard County, Utah economy.
In 2010 the IPA and the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for trying to prevent a third coal fired unit at the IPP generation site due to carbon dioxide emissions concerns.[1]
The third unit of the Intermountain Power Project, a 900 megawatt unit is expected to go online in 2012.