[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 25, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E934-E935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REDUCTION IN USE OF COAL AT CAPITOL POWER PLANT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 2010

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, on February 26, 2009, the Office of 
Architect of the Capitol (AOC) received a letter signed by the Speaker 
of the House and the Senate Majority Leader directing a reduction in 
the use of coal at the Capitol Power Plant, in favor of natural gas. In 
response, I wrote a letter to the AOC inquiring about the impacts of 
this proposal and the costs associated with it. The text of that letter 
and the Architect's response follow.

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, March 4, 2009.
     Mr. Stephen Ayers,
     Acting Architect of the Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Ayers: There have been several articles written 
     about the Capitol Power Plant in recent weeks and I have had 
     several groups in my office lobbying to stop using coal at 
     the plant. I would appreciate your providing me some basic 
     facts about the plant.
       1. When was it constructed, what was its initial cost, and 
     when did it begin operations?
       2. What was/is the rated electrical capacity of the plant?
       3. How much coal was burned at the plant during its peak 
     years of operation?
       4. When was natural gas first used as a fuel in the plant, 
     and what was the cost to convert the plant so that natural 
     gas could be used?
       5. What is the mix of fuel used today at the plant, in 
     percentages?
       6. What has been the additional cost or cost-saving 
     associated with the use of a mix of natural gas and coal, 
     instead of coal only?
       7. What is the timeline for converting the plant to natural 
     gas only, and what will be the cost of the conversion?
       8. What is the projected additional cost or cost-saving 
     over the next five years, by converting the plant to operate 
     only on natural gas?
       9. What type of coal is presently burned at the plant, and 
     where is it produced?
       10. Does the plant produce electricity, or only steam and 
     cooled water for the Capitol complex?
       11. If electricity is produced, what amount of income does 
     the sale of the electricity produce annually?
       12. If electricity is not produced, why not?
       13. If electricity is not produced, what would it cost to 
     convert the plant so that electricity could be produced and 
     sold, and what would be the projected annual income from 
     those sales?
       14. What emissions controls are in place at the plant, when 
     were they added, and at what cost?
       15. Is the plant presently in compliance with federal Clean 
     Air Act regulations?
       16. If the plant is not in compliance with emissions 
     limitations, what additional controls might be needed to 
     continue to use coal or a mix of coal and natural gas, and 
     what are the estimated capital costs of those additional 
     controls?
       Thank you very much for your attention to this request. I 
     will look forward to your response.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Ed Whitfield,
                                               Member of Congress.


                                 The Architect of the Capitol,

                                   Washington, DC, March 20, 2009.
     Hon. Ed Whitfield
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Whitfield: Thank you for your interest in 
     the U.S. Capitol Power Plant. As a matter of background, 
     Congress authorized $1,545,975.65 for the design and 
     construction of the Capitol Power Plant on April 28, 1904, 
     and it was completed and began operations in 1910. 
     Originally, the plant was constructed to produce electricity. 
     However, since 1951 it has not produced electricity and only 
     generates steam and chilled water for the Capitol Complex.
       The Capitol Power Plant is currently capable of using three 
     fuels; coal, natural gas, and fuel oil. In a series of 
     projects starting in 1989, individual boilers within the 
     plant have been modified to be capable of burning natural 
     gas. In Fiscal Year 2008, the fuel consumed by the plant was 
     65% natural gas and 35% coal. The largest amount of coal 
     burned during the last 20 years was in 1993, when the plant 
     used 47,393 short tons. The plant currently burns low sulfur 
     bituminous coal which is purchased through the General 
     Services Administration and the Defense Energy Support 
     Center. The following table provides details on the fuel 
     usage and costs for Fiscal Year 2008:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Utility type                Energy (MMBTU)     Cost ($)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Natural Gas.............................         975,046     $12,653,649
Oil.....................................             120          $2,291
Coal....................................         528,489      $2,444,511
Heating Energy Total....................       1,503,655     $15,100,451
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The Capitol Power Plant operates in full compliance with 
     current Federal Clean Air Act regulations. The plant utilizes 
     two reverse air bag houses, installed in the early 1980's, to 
     control particulate emissions. Emissions are further 
     controlled via fuel specifications and combustion controls.
       On February 26, 2009, the Office of Architect of the 
     Capitol (AOC) received a letter signed by the Speaker of the 
     House and the Senate Majority Leader directing a reduction in 
     the use of coal at the plant, in favor of natural gas. Our 
     preliminary estimates indicate that operating the plant using 
     100% natural gas will cost an additional $5-$7 million 
     annually in fuel costs and will require a one-time capital 
     investment needed to equip the plant. We are currently 
     preparing preliminary designs with cost estimates for the 
     capital investment requirement.
       The AOC has undertaken a comprehensive strategic planning 
     process for the Capitol Power Plant. Leveraging the skills of 
     expert consultants and in-house staff, the AOC is analyzing a 
     number of options for the plant, including several scenarios 
     which utilize cogeneration systems to generate electricity. 
     Those options are also being reviewed by the National Academy 
     of Sciences and later will be reviewed by the Department of 
     Energy. We expect to publish a final report in Sumner 2009.
       Should you have further questions about the Capitol Power 
     Plant or any of AOC's activities, please do not hesitate to 
     contact me at 228-1793.
           Sincerely,
                                            Stephen T. Ayers, AIA,
                                  Acting Architect of the Capitol.
                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                   Washington, DC, March 25, 2009.
     Mr. Stephen Ayers,
     Acting Architect of the Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Ayers: Thank you for your prompt and very helpful 
     response to my letter to you of March 4, 2009, regarding the

[[Page E935]]

     Capitol Power Plant. I would appreciate your further response 
     to these two additional questions:
       1. You indicated that ``in a series of projects starting in 
     1989, individual boilers within the plant have been modified 
     to be capable of burning natural gas.'' What was the total 
     capital cost (or your best estimate) of those modifications?
       2. In my previous letter I asked where the coal is produced 
     that is burned in the plant, and you responded that the coal 
     is purchased through GSA and the Defense Energy Support 
     Center. Can you tell me which state(s) the coal comes from?
       I appreciate your attention to this request, and look 
     forward to your response.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Ed Whitfield,
                                               Member of Congress.

                                 The Architect of the Capitol,

                                    Washington, DC, April 2, 2009.
     Hon. Ed Whitfield,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Whitfield: Thank you for your letter of 
     March 25, 2009 regarding the Capitol Power Plant. I 
     appreciate your continued leadership on energy issues and 
     your support of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol 
     (AOC). Your letter contained two questions addressed below.
       You asked for an estimate of the total capital investment 
     made in recent years for modifying boilers at the Capitol 
     Power Plant to burn natural gas. We have completed several 
     projects stretching over the past twelve years to convert 
     individual boilers to burn natural gas. The capital 
     investment for these projects was approximately $1.5 million.
       You also asked which state supplies coal used at the 
     Capitol Power Plant. The AOC purchases coal through the 
     Government Services Agency (GSA) and the Defense Energy 
     Support Center. These entities are responsible for 
     determining the source of coal supplied under their contract. 
     It is our understanding, based on information from the GSA, 
     that the most recent supplier of coal for the plant is 
     located in West Virginia.
       Should you have further questions about the Capitol Power 
     Plant, please do not hesitate to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                            Stephen T. Ayers, AIA,
     Acting Architect of the Capitol.

                          ____________________