Background
Morgan Creek is a natural gas/oil-fired power plant. It consists of two steam units and six combustion turbine units that provide flexibility for rapid response. Luminant has proposed mothballing the two steam units, meaning the units would not operate in the future.
Some Luminant plants operate primarily using natural gas as a fuel and have the capability of using oil as a fuel. The extra capability to burn oil provides more flexibility for Luminant's fleet to meet the needs of the region.
Many Luminant plants are named after nearby bodies of water or nearby geological locations. The Morgan Creek Plant is named after the creek that was dammed to form Lake Colorado City.
Economic Impact to the Area
Luminant is proud to be a major contributor to the economy in areas where it maintains and operates facilities. Luminant produces an annual economic benefit of more than $1.2 Billion across Texas through power plant payrolls, purchases, contracts, taxes paid and other expenditures.
History
Operational dates of the units at Morgan Creek:
- Unit 2 became operational July 30, 1950
- Unit 3 became operational July 1, 1952
- Unit 4 became operational Jun 15, 1954
- Unit 5 became operational June 15, 1959
- Unit 6 became operational July 18, 1966
- Combustion Turbines 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 became operational July 1, 1988
- Combustion Turbine 3 became operational August 1, 1988
- Steam units 2, 3 and 4 were retired in March 2004
- Steam units 5 and 6 were declared inactive and proposed for mothball status in November 2004. A decision is pending from state officials.
Awards
Luminant has received numerous awards over past years from a variety of regulatory, conservation, municipal and other organizations. Over the years several Morgan Creek employees have received the Presidential Life Saver Award, presented by the president of Luminant for saving or attempting to save someone's life. Safety is a priority at all of the company's facilities, and Morgan Creek employees have achieved:
- 19 years without a lost time injury
- 3 years without an OSHA recordable injury
Environmental Equipment and Accomplishments
At Luminant, we care about the air we share. Luminant is committed to innovative leadership in managing environmental issues, including minimizing its own impact on the environment without sacrificing the interests of future generations.
As part of the overall program to protect clean air, all Luminant plants have been modified to reduce emissions, through equipment and/or operational changes. Because of these initiatives, Luminant has been a leader in reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in Texas. As an example, Morgan Creek #6 was modified with IFGR (Induced Flue Gas Recirculation) in the fall of 2002. This significantly reduced the NOx output of the plant. Since 2001, plant employees have been giving a presentation to the 5th grade classes of Hutchinson Elementary on how Luminant uses the lake, working in conjunction with Parks & Wildlife and State Park officials protecting the eco-system of the lake.
Civic
Luminant has a rich history of community leadership through employee volunteerism, employee contributions and company financial support. Morgan Creek employees have supported their communities through various activities:
- Morgan Creek plant traditionally donated funds to the local fire department.
- Employees have been involved in the Colorado ISD mentoring program.
- Employees participated in Christmas in Action, Hospitality House and served as Boy Scout leaders.
- Employees served as coaches of various local sports (soccer, baseball, softball, football, etc).
- Employees participated in the annual Science Fair acting as a judge.
- Employees supported band and football booster clubs with their time and donations.
- Employees took part in fund raisers for Community Mission - 5K and 10K marathons.
