Lake Martin Topics: Electricity Records

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	Name:	waterph -
	Subject:	Electricity Records
	Date:	8/17/2007 10:28:09 AM

Deepwater

There is an excellent article in the Decatur Daily newspaper about TVA cutting the output at Browns Ferry Nuclear plant - "River too warm". The temperaturature of their cooling water from the Tennessee River was 90.4 degrees upstream of the plant. TVA's permit for water going back into the river is 90 degrees. Therefore, the only option for TVA was to idle one of their reactors. TVA does have cooling towers at this site. What would the situation be if this was a TVA fossil fired plant like its Widows Creek plant in Stevenson, Alabama, without cooling towers?

I think that the same story could be written for the coal fired plant downsteam of Smith Dam except for the fact that the cooler waters from the depths of Smith. I believe that AlPCo could not meet its discharge water permit without some secondary source of cooler water to the Warrior River. Smith Lake, in my opinion, is that source and helps to keeps the Warrior River temperature less than the 90.4 degrees seen on the Tennessee River.

AlPCo will not violate its dischare temperature permit and will meet the electrical demands from its broad customer base. AlPCo, in an earlier press release, stated that the majority of their electrical output is from fossil fired or nuclear sites. I take this to be that output from hydro sites constitues only a small percentage of the total electricity source for Alabama Power.

Hopefully, in the future we all will find out the basis for the significant shifts in water level on Smith Lake. We do know that water level on Smith Lake is managed by Alabama Power because they say they do in this web site. If this is not a true statement, I will be glad to correct.

I believe that this web site is a good source to deliver different opinions as to what we want for Smith Lake. Environmental issues, safety, quality of life, etc. - we all want these. I just happen to believe that water level is higher in priority that other property owners. I have not intended for any of my comments to be considered as rants. If they are that way, I appoligize.