Our generator testing will begin at 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21. We plan to operate all three generators independently from Corn Belt Power Cooperative (off-tie) and continue testing until approximately 2:00 a.m.
Why Have We Been Testing Our Generators So Often?
Several people have asked why we've been testing our generators so frequently over the past several months. It's a long story, but we'll do our best to summarize it.
On July 29, 2025, our controlling agency called on us to generate power for approximately nine hours. About halfway through that run, one of our generators experienced an electrical fire. As a safety precaution, all three generating units automatically tripped offline and shut down.
After the fire was extinguished and we assessed the alarms, we cleared the system and were able to restart two of the three generators to complete the remainder of the requested generation period.
Over the following months, our crews and engineers worked to repair the damaged generator. Nearly seven months later, we were finally able to start the unit and bring it back online. However, it was only capable of producing a little more than half of its rated output.
Throughout the repair process, we continued to uncover additional issues, including damaged components and blown fuses that were not immediately apparent after the fire. We also discovered that some replacement equipment, while appearing identical to the original, was several generations newer and required different programming and configuration before it would operate correctly.
During our most recent testing, we successfully operated our two larger generators together both while connected to the grid (on-tie) and while operating independently (off-tie), which was a significant milestone.
Last week, we received and installed the final major piece of equipment that had been damaged during the original incident. Our engineers have thoroughly inspected and tested the system, and we are hopeful that this resolves the remaining issues.
We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we complete this work. These tests are an important part of ensuring our generating system is reliable and ready when it is needed.