About Rochester Public Utilities. Not attracting as much attention as the electric plant opening was the struggle the water works faced in the 1890s. RPU Customer Care by phone: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm ROCHESTER PUBLIC UTILITIES ELECTRIC UTILITY 2019 OPERATING BUDGET BASIC ASSUMPTIONS • Cost center budgets and non-bonded projects set at level used in cost-of-service study • Achol Akol, a Gage Elementary School student, plays an apple tossing game during Rochester Public Utilities' 17th annual Arbor Day Celebration Friday, April 26, 2019, at Three Links Park in Rochester. 1988 – Completion of Service Center construction. Rochester's first municipally owned power plant generated electricity on March 14, 1894, but did not operate full-time until May when the city's contract with a private lighting company expired. In 1937, People's Cooperative Power Association, a rural cooperative, negotiated an agreement to buy wholesale power from the North Broadway Plant. We represent public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve, and the 93,000 people they employ. The high quality groundwater is lead-free and meets all state and federal guidelines and regulations. The 7500-kW unit was powered by a 90,000 lb./hour steam boiler and necessary equipment. Using the plant for these two purposes prompted the label "co-generating facility." Rochester had grown nearly 15 percent from 1900 to 1910. F. B. Lambert had an idea that the event was important. 1996 – Walt Lorber named as Acting General Manager during an internal reorganization. RPU's commitment to the environment did not end with costly construction projects. RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize … Phone Business Hours (507) 280-1540 Emergency/Outage After Hours (507) 280-9191 Address 4000 East River Road NE Rochester, MN 55906 Website SMMPA allows its member cities to pool their electric power and meet their communities’ energy needs. RPU Service Center Lobby Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-4pm. 1994 – RPU completes 100 years of electrical service. RPU purchases a majority of their electricity from its wholesale provider Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA), while utilizing the Midcontinent Independent System Operators (MISO) for additional electricity needs. By the late 1880s the City Council had seen and heard of the electrical power generated by municipally owned plants. RPU serves more than 55,000 electric customers and 40,000 water customers. ©2021 Rochester Public Utilities. In referring to the harmonious relations between the two organizations, [People's Co-op] Manager Ray Krofchalk commented, 'We will always be grateful to the City of Rochester for the way it stepped in to meet our needs for wholesale power...when it meant the difference between success and failure of our efforts.'". The steam system was operated until April 1986. 4000 East River Road NE 2016 – The second 161 kilovolt (kV) transmission line for the Hampton-Rochester-LaCrosse (WI) part of the CapX2020 transmission project was energized. His poem appeared in the Rochester Post to commemorate Rochester's first public utility: an electric lighting plant. This is RPU’s first bond. The generator was turned by a belt from the enormous flywheel. RPU does boast numerous electric generating facilities including natural gas-powered turbine generators, a hydroelectric facility on Lake Zumbro, two gen-sets located at IBM, and five natural gas-fired reciprocating engine generators to be housed at the Westside Energy Station coming in 2018. "View NOP >>" displays a copy of the Notice of Penalty filed by NERC with the listed Regulatory Authority for the listed violations by the listed registered entity; RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive. THE NEW JERSEY BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF MARYLAND Pursuant to Section 313(b) of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. It has employed a full-time environmental regulations specialist since the late 1970s and continues to monitor all plant emissions. 97 were here. With the introduction of the Clean Air Act in 1976, issues of power plant emissions, PCBs, and water quality were addressed by RPU and other utilities. An outspoken advocate of municipal ownership of utilities, Mayo served a term as Mayor (1882 – 1883) and held a seat on the City Council. To start the 16-ton flywheel for the steam engine, plant workers sometimes had to insert a long heavy bar into a hole on the wheel and manually crank the wheel to a position where the steam engine drive arm could move it. • Manage the optimization of generation and transmission portfolios on a continuous and forward basis. We have limited space in the lobby to safely accommodate visitors and ask the public only come in if absolutely necessary. The RPU water system utilizes the Jordan Aquifer as its primary source for water, drawing from deep groundwater wells that range from 400-1,000 feet deep across Rochester. The project was completed in 2002. RPU's Service Center lobby is now open on a limited basis for in-person transactions (8a-4p M-F). RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive. "Organizing and joining SMMPA was probably the most fundamental change that this utility has ever seen," commented John Miner, RPU General Manager from 1983 – 1986. Both the water and electric departments made efforts to place public service as their first priority. But times were changing and the city was beginning to grow. Rochester soon would have more than two million gallons of storage and a pumping capacity of 7,100 gallons per minute. As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers. Today, RPU is a partial-requirements member of SMMPA and retains control over its own generating units. RPU employs over 170 full-time employees to provide the citizens of Rochester with safe, reliable electricity and safe, clean water on a daily basis. RPU purchases a majority of their electricity from its wholesale provider Southern Minnesota Municipal … As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers. As a result, city leaders were looking at water and electric service changes for Rochester. Rochester Gas & Electric provides electricity to the city of Rochester. Dr. William Worrall Mayo took a strong leadership role in developing Rochester's water and electric services. About Rochester Public Utilities . We have limited space in the lobby to safely accommodate visitors and ask the public only come in if absolutely necessary. 2013 – The 3.3 million gallon Saint Mary’s Reservoir was completed. A sprinkler truck kept Saint Mary's Hospital supplied from the well owned by Schuster Brewery. After this plant burned down in October 1915, the dim working conditions and rough floor boards were replaced by the new plant construction on North Broadway. During another flood in 1908, the whole water works plant was submerged and the boilers extinguished. Tiffany Piotrowicz. The Lake Zumbro facility has used water-driven generators to supply electricity for Rochester consumers since the powerhouse was placed in service on Nov. 7, 1919. Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is a municipally-owned electric and water utility located in Rochester, MN. The water company was subject to disasters that cost time and money to recoup. Fire protection remained a vital concern, but 378 hydrants on the 38 miles of water main provided a far better safety net than the 208 fire plugs on the 17.5 miles of main when the city bought the system. A robust RPU transmission system with ties to other regional transmission systems ensures the safe, reliable delivery of electricity in and out of Rochester. As part of the CapX2020 project, RPU recently added two new161 kV transmission interconnections at Rochester to provide additional transmission system reliability. Construction began in 1947 with a groundbreaking ceremony. As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers. 4000 East River Road NE Rochester, MN, 55906. Business Hours. There are 27 schools in the district; 17 Elementary Schools, 4 Middle Schools, 3 High Schools, and 1 Alternative Learning Center. Henceforth and forever this city shall be lit by its own electricity. When the Park Board developed plans for the Silver Lake Park in the 1930s, the Utility Board requested that some of that property be used for a new generating plant. Water customers number more than 40,000. The only water storage was the Saint Mary’s Park standpipe (built in 1887) and 500,000-gallon underground reservoir (built in 1916 – 1917) near the waterworks. Since the mid-1980s, many changes have occurred at RPU. In the early 1890s, Rochester's population numbered just several thousand. In addition to providing electricity to the city of Rochester, RPU also provides a contracted steam delivery to the Mayo Clinic for their process purposes. Contact a customer care representative today at 507.280.1500 or email us. Silver Lake unit three was installed in 1962; unit two (1953) and unit one (1949) are the smaller generating units beyond number three. In 1951, after the worst flooding since 1908, the Park Department gave the Utility Board control of the Silver Lake Dam. Rochester Public Utilities Customer Service and Billing located in Rochester, MN 55906 operates in SIC Code 4911 and NAICS Code 221118 In 1978, Rochester joined the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) with Council approval. RPU Customer Care by phone: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm In 1961, concrete workers refurbished the structure and remote controls were developed for plant operations. Long Island Power Authority, or LIPA, is a non-profit municipal electric provider who owns the retail electric transmission and distribution system on Long Island. By the turn of the century, the fire department had vacated the building and the Light Plant occupied the space. Rochester Public Utilities will own and operate the Project. 2000 – The Board and Council approve the sale of electric revenue bonds to pay for the new turbine and other electric system improvements. All Rights Reserved. In 1924 and 1925, four static or artesian wells were bored on water department grounds near the Fourth Street Southeast pumping station. Oh, that our trials might now be over, Oh, that our pastures might be clover. "After months of darkness light has come to guide the weary traveler home. 1993 – RPU joined the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool (MAPP), further ensuring Rochester's power requirements will be fulfilled into the next century. "There has been and will continue to be spirited debate among its members about how well SMMPA does its job," he acknowledged, "but I believe, at this point, that SMMPA has accomplished what the founders intended." Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is a municipally-owned electric and water utility located in Rochester, MN. By March 1949, the Co-op took 24 percent of the total annual kilowatt-hours of the electric department, while Rochester residential consumers used 28 percent. 1999 – Board approves a new combustion turbine. The eight-cylinder engine provided Rochester's first reliable auxiliary water pump when storms would interrupt electricity to the main pumping unit. Until maintenance and other costs reduced the net return years later, the Utility Board found willing customers in the central district for this relatively inexpensive and odor-free heat source. And we have found that just for pay, the dreary night has turned to day. Particulate Matter – a significant reduction, Dedication of the Cascade Creek Gas Turbine, May 2002. such orders as the Public Utilities Act authorizes.”14 The D.C. Code states that the Commission has the authority to regulate all “public utilities” in many specific instances.15 It is clear that the Commission has the authority to regulate microgrids if we determine they are acting within the definition of a public utility. Water customers number more than 38,000. Apply to Gas Engineer, Office Manager, Management Analyst and more! 2019 – The RPU Board reviewed the RPU Resource Plan and voted unanimously to direct staff to further pursue two 100% renewable scenarios, one including a peaking generator and one involving battery storage for serving RPU customers after 2030. The RPU Board approved the construction bid to build the Westside Energy Station, which will house the five Wartsila reciprocating engine generators approved in 2015 by the RPU Board. 2002 – A new combustion turbine, similar to jet engines that power 747s, goes online in May. 2019 –  RPU held an open house and offered public tours of the Lake Zumbro Dam as part of the 100 Year Anniversary of the facility. In 1924, a 200,000-gallon concrete water tower was completed on "College Hill" next to Saint Mary’s Hospital. Rochester, MN, 55906, RPU Service Center Lobby Hours:Monday-Friday 8am-4pm, RPU Customer Care by phone: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. The 200,000-gallon concrete tower, built near College Street (Fourth Street Southwest) in Saint Mary’s Park still furnishes water pressure and a reserve supply for the high-level system in southwest Rochester. The hydroelectric dam and powerhouse were under construction July 1, 1918. RPU operates under the direction of a five member, mayor-appointed Utility Board and under the Rochester City Council. The water company had difficulty showing a profit to the stockholders while still delivering water, main extensions, and service to the swiftly growing city. ), 2014 – The 2 million gallon 50th Avenue Hydropillar was completed. RPU Customer Care by phone: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm And in the years to come we'll say, that was for us a glorious day, When first the streets and stores at night used arc and incandescent light.". Approximately 100 customers were on the steam service. 1910 to 1920 was the explosion in growth decade; the city grew from 7,844 to 13,722, a 75 percent growth rate! RPU's Service Center lobby is now open on a limited basis for in-person transactions (8a-4p M-F). The Facility will be comprised of five Wartsila 20V34SG non-emergency natural gas-fired engines with a total generating capacity of 48 megawatts and will operate as a peaking service. Contact a customer care representative today at 507.280.1500 or email us. The 500,000 gallon St. Bridget Water Tower was completed. The RPU water system continues to provide RPU customers with clean, safe tap water. Rochester, MN, 55906, RPU Service Center Lobby Hours:Monday-Friday 8am-4pm, RPU Customer Care by phone: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. 2012 – The RPU Board approved a resolution directing staff to develop and execute a plan to decommission the Silver Lake Plant (SLP) by December 31, 2015 or sooner; ending all coal burning and electric generation at SLP. As a result, city leaders were looking at water and electric service changes for Rochester. Spectators gathered for hours to catch a glimpse of the events inside the plant. Kerosene and oil street lamps had lighted the city’s main thoroughfares since the mid 1870s. The North Broadway Plant and new hydro plant could produce enough electricity, in that era, to meet the needs for a city of 60,000 residents. 4000 East River Road NE Rochester, MN, 55906. Business Hours. Rochester Public Library Board Meeting 01/20/21 @ 4:30pm - 01/20/21 @ 6:00pm Meeting Room C Main Branch RPU also serves some rural areas immediately adjacent to the city. RPU Service Center Lobby Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-4pm. The Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) Westside Energy Station is a new natural gas-fired power plant consisting of five reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE) that are supplied by Finland's Wärtsilä manufacturing company. Rochester Public Schools is a high performing public school district located in the middle of South-Eastern Minnesota and spans 218 square miles. The Fourth Street Northeast dam pooled water for the North Broadway plant, and the Silver Lake Dam pooled water for the Silver Lake Plant. Eelectric - and gasoline-powered pumping machinery improved efficiency at the Fourth Street Southeast Water Works after it was installed in 1924. The new Silver Lake Plant went on-line in April of 1949. The Utility Board, formed in 1904, would study building a new and more reliable light plant in 1915 after the Third Street Southwest plant burned on Oct. 31, 1915. 4000 East River Road NE Rochester, MN, 55906. Business Hours. 2008 – The ERP involves improving the 55-megawatt unit four generator by adding a scrubber and baghouse system for treating flue gas emissions is completed. Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is the electric and water utility in Rochester, MN. Water customers number more than 40,000. The electric utility is engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power and energy to about 56,400 customers within a 65 square-mile service area. (photo 4903). 1995 – RPU signs a Participation Sales Agreement with the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) for the output of the Silver Lake Plant. The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions, Billing Fees, Deposits, and Payment Options, Residential Time-of-Use Rate Pilot Program, Neighborhood Energy Challenge - Energy Audits, 1894 – Rochester’s First Municipally Owned Power Plant Generates Electricity, 1916 - 1949: New Utilities and Responsibilities. RPU serves more than 55,000 electric customers and 40,000 water customers. The Nov. 21, 1956, Post-Bulletin recorded this account of the relationship: "The arrangement between People's Cooperative Power and the City of Rochester had been an excellent example of cooperation between a rural electric system and a municipally owned generating system. The Project is a proposed new electric generation power plant located in the NW¼ of the SW¼ of ©2021 Rochester Public Utilities. In 1928, the school system approached the Utility Board with a steam heating proposal to run a steam line from the North Broadway Plant. The hydroelectric dam and powerhouse were under construction July 1, 1918. 4000 East River Road NE Rochester, MN, 55906. Business Hours. RPU Service Center Lobby Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-4pm. About Rochester Public Utilities. In 1910 the water company drilled its first deep well, about 418 feet deep. Water customers number more than 40,000. 2015 – The RPU Board approved the purchase of five Wartsila reciprocating engine generators for an amount not to exceed $22.5 million. Our association As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 54,000 customers. RPU produces emission-free renewable energy through the Lake Zumbro hydroelectric plant. Additionally, its service territory meanders south west from Rochester all the way to the Pennsylvania border. Yet one enduring feature of municipal ownership's responsibility to the public surfaced in the 1930s and continues today: the utilities return revenue to the city. 1999 – RPU Board elects Contracted Rate of Delivery (CROD) status with SMMPA. January 21, 2013 Barry Cassell Generation Rochester Public Utilities in Minnesota plans to retire the coal-fired Silver Lake power plant by the end of 2015 and is working through the issues associated with a late 2011 incident that has keep the coal-fired Unit 3 at the Sherburne County (Sherco) power plant off-line since then, said Fitch Ratings. Rochester Public Utilities. In 1975, a 30-megawatt gas turbine unit was installed to supplement power during peak demand at the Cascade Creek substation, located between Seventh Street Northwest and Highway 14 West. The CapX2020 utilities listed above are proposing to construct a 345 kV electric transmission line and associated facilities between Hampton and Rochester, MN and the La Crosse, WI area. In order to ensure Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is prepared for Smart Grid transitions, Burns & McDonnell, an international engineering, architecture, and consulting firm, provided RPU with a complete business case analysis in 2010. The steam used to run those turbines could be further used by ducting it to the school for heating and driving vent fans. All Rights Reserved. 4000 East River Road NE Created by its members as a not-for-profit joint-action agency in 1977, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) utilizes a diverse energy mix of renewable energy, coal, and natural gas-fired generation to provide reliable electricity in an environmentally sustainable manner to its 18 member utilities and the 127,000 customers they serve. Precipitators (to reduce airborne emissions) and cooling towers (to control water emissions) were costly additions. Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) today launched a new carbon offset program which offers Renewable Energy Credits for sale to customers to offset their carbon footprint. ... Work Planner at Rochester Public Utilities Rochester, MN. (photo DJI 0015) The first 161 kilovolt (kV) transmission line for the Hampton-Rochester-LaCrosse (WI) part of the CapX2020 transmission project was energized. Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) proposes to construct and operate a new electric power generating station, Westside Energy Station (WES). 1998 – City of Rochester experiences first total blackout in 20 years as storms damage major transmission lines in the area. (photo 004) The groundbreaking was held for the CapX2020 transmission project Hampton-Rochester-LaCrosse (WI) line. Learn about RPU's humble beginnings and how it grew into one of Minnesota's largest utilities. § 825l(b), and Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (“NJBPU”) and Public Service Commission of Maryland 2001 – The Council/Board approves the sale of steam to the Mayo Clinic. Initially, RPU was a full-requirements member with SMMPA controlling all of Rochester's electric power. The agreement was approved by a representative of the Rural Electrification Administration from Washington, D.C., and all parties were pleased by the arrangement that was to last almost 20 years. Water is pumped from the wells throughout the RPU water distribution system or stored in the numerous water storage facilities including the 50th Avenue Hydropillar with a capacity of 2 million gallons, the Apache Water Tower holding 500,000 gallons, or the St. Mary’s Reservoir with a capacity of 3.3 million gallons. Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, and Rochester Public Utilities. 46 Rochester Public Utilities jobs available on Indeed.com. On the gently snowing evening of March 14, 1894, Western Electric construction foreman A.C. Sprout switched on the current for lamps on the west circuit; moments later he lighted the lamps on Broadway. By 1915, city growth indicated the water and electric service would face enormous demands. The RICE units are a newer technology that provide quick-start emergency backup power generation. Decatur Utilities, Municipal Utilities Board of Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama Florence Utilities , City of Florence, Lauderdale County Franklin Electric Cooperatives , Franklin, Colbert and Lawrence Counties in northwest Alabama The Rochester, Austin, and Owatonna Public Utility companies are teaming up for their annual rebate program. Motivated by the need for safely lit streets and reliable electrical service, in 1892 the City Council (after several rancorous meetings) sanctioned the construction of Rochester's first public utility: an electric lighting plant measuring just 27 by 72 feet. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions, Billing Fees, Deposits, and Payment Options, Residential Time-of-Use Rate Pilot Program, Neighborhood Energy Challenge - Energy Audits. The Utility Board, formed in 1904, would study building a new and more reliable light plant in 1915 after the Third Street Southwest plant burned on Oct. 31, 1915. 2. The Utility Board and City Council faced four service problems for the water department during the 1920s: water supply and storage, pumping capability, metering usage, and financing water main extensions. RPU operates under the direction of a five member, mayor-appointed Utility Board and under the Rochester City Council. Water customers number more than 36,000. About Rochester Public Utilities As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 120 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 50,000 customers. RPU Customer Care by phone: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm The water department was created in 1916 following a May 25 bond issue to purchase a private water company. As the water department entered the 1930s, its pumping and storage problems that had seemed daunting ten years before found remedies to deal with the city’s growth. 1990 – Conversion of RPU's transmission system from 115,000 volts to 161,000 volts begins. (photo 0225- caption- A helicopter was used to string parts of the Capx2020 line.). Larry Koshire became the new General Manager in 1997. In 2001, for example, the Electric and Water Departments returned $6,837,000 to the city of Rochester. The electric and water utilities are two separate enterprise funds of the city of Rochester, Minnesota. (photo 0025- caption- RPU staff and Board President attend the CapX2020 groundbreaking event. When the pump house flooded during a 1903 flood, an engineer jumped into the water that was up to his head and adjusted the pump valves with his feet. 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