Pioneer Electric Cooperative is asking the Kansas State Corporation Commission for an expedited approval of a Generation Interconnection Agreement (GIA) with Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas LLC for a 22-MW cogeneration power project.
Randall Magnison, the Executive Vice President-Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer Electric, noted in Nov. 21 testimony filed at the commission that in July 2011, Abengoa broke ground on a plant for the production of 25 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 22 MW of renewable energy from biomass (a mixture of agricultural waste, non-feed energy crops and wood waste). The plant will be located to the west of Hugoton in Stevens County, Kansas.
Abengoa will produce power for itself and also sell its excess power to Sunflower Electric Power, or another third party, under a yet-to-be executed Purchase Power Agreement (PPA).
Abengoa will interconnect to Pioneer’s owned and operated 69-kV line, and its power will travel on Pioneer’s line for approximately one and three-quarters mile until it interconnects with Sunflower’s 115-kV line. Abengoa has notified Pioneer that it intends to become operational during the first quarter of 2014.
Due to a procedural problem, Pioneer had to withdraw its original GIA approval application and submit this new one on Nov. 21. Considering the short time until the Abengoa facility is operational, Pioneer is asking the commission to take action on this application as soon as administratively possible rather than follow the standard 240-day timeline.
