Energy questions answered (mostly)

Over the past decade there has been a tremendous move to wind and solar energy. The reason; the windmills and solar panels don’t pollute our air and they transfer new energy to a grid representing the definition of renewable energy. The grid is the transmission and distribution lines operated by one or more control centers. The energy created by windmills or solar panels goes into the grid, to the wholesale power provider and is sold to Waseca so we can be comfortable with air conditioning on those 90 degree hot humid days, and light in our homes at night. 

Back in the day I worked for Austin, MN utilities for a couple of summers. My first summer I was the hired hand who helped wherever needed. A quick lesson learned story. There was a water leak in a main in residential Austin. I went out with the water crew and helped them excavate and clean out  a hole to the street main pipe. My foreman was doing some welding and I was running supplies to him from our utility truck. I was watching him weld with no safety glasses on. Big mistake, within an hour my eyes were red and bloodshot. The feeling was similar to someone taking a pail of sand from a Jamaican beach and throwing it into my wide open eyes. The result was a visit to the hospital, my eyes cleaned out, medication, and a week off work. The good old boys sure had fun with this naive high school kid when I returned to work. 

My second summer at Austin Utilities was a pretty easy summer. I was now a freshman in college and a seasoned utility veteran. Working with my boss, Lloyd Herron, I called him old blue after the waterbird, the great blue heron, we drove around in the morning sampling water stations. In the p.m. we’d check our samples making sure our water was safe to drink. Old Blue would look at me and say after testing, “Zeke, life is good, no bugs in the water.” The power plant I reported to work has now been decommissioned and no longer provides the power it used to; as have many other power plants, burning coal, in MN.

The city of Waseca provides our water and electricity for city residents. I chatted with Duane Brase and Lor Hanson about some utility questions. Duane worked many years for Waseca Utilities and retired as a supervisor. Lori is currently the Waseca Utility office manager. Both spent time with me and thoroughly answered questions I had. 

Our city water tower is taller than any building in town and is a simple machine. Clean treated water is pumped up into the tower where it is stored. Water pumps utilize the pull of gravity to provide high water pressure. Water mains run underground throughout Waseca to our faucets and homes. The water filling the water tower is tapped from an underground aquifer, underground river, running far beneath the ground under Waseca. I talked with someone living in the country and he told me they had to drill 300 feet to water before being pumped up the well. Waseca’s aquifer is much deeper. 

SMMPA, Southern MN Municipal Power Agency is Waseca’s wholesale power provider. IT has 17 member utilities. Waseca buys electrical power from them and provides electric power for our city residents. 

There are many state laws governing energy production and generation and SMMPA and Waseca must abide by them. I was shocked to research that MN’s energy generated by solar panels, wind mills, and hydro was less than 30%. So where could SMMPA get energy other than solar, wind, or hydro? Maybe the nuclear power plants at Monticello and Red Wing or the powerplant at Faribault that operates on natural gas. 

We still have the power line running to our cabin on Tetonka and I think the power lines have been there for quite some time. Nowadays everything coming to your house is underground. The good thing is lines underground are tornado proof and windproof but not completely problem proof. No matter how many different painted lines you see on a yard when digging a new hole, or a new construction hole, excavated lines still get cut. Squirrels and even a shake can make their way into the metal boxes at Waseca’s power stations and shut down power in sectors of Waseca. My experience; my power is always up and running in a short period of time, thanks to Waseca Utilities, when the lights and fridge are out. I rest peacefully at night knowing the utility troops are prepared for action. 

A couple of closing notes: 

- Waseca received national recognition for electric reliability.

- Many of the powerlines you see above ground driving down the highway are part of the grid, transporting from wind mills, solar fields, or wherever. 

- Traveling south on 13 to Albert Lea you travel through miles of giant windmills. When the wind is howling and the windmill isn’t operating, I’ve always felt I should contact the windmill guys. Turns out the windmills are energy full and transmitting to the grid. 

I’m so glad I was able to get all of your energy questions sorted out for you.

Let's close with a smile.

What is an outlet's favorite song? “I've got the Power.” 

What penalty in hockey uses the most amount of energy? “The power play.” 

Why did the light bulb fail his math quiz? “He wasn’t too bright.”