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LIMBA Tour of Northport Power Plant & Happy New Year
January 14, 2011 @ 12:00 am EST
January is powerplant season at LIMBA! This year we visited the largest power station on Long Island and one of the largest on the east coast. Last year at this time, we hosted the Caithness power station. This year, those presenters were in attendance for a great presentation by the NPS. Attendees were treated to a tour of the power station that rivaled an episode of “The Worlds Toughest Fixes” or “Big, Bigger, Biggest”. In the words of Bob Bender, the meeting’s sponsor, it was a chance to look “Behind the Switch” and get a picture of the people, technology and business behind delivering this vital commodity.
Bob Allen, the general m
anager of NPS, opened our session with a Safety Moment. In a facility this large and with the levels of power involved, things can go bad in a hurry, and preparedness is paramount. Our tour would take us to one of the two control rooms that control the four units, across the turbine deck, and up alongside one of the units undergoing an upgrade and maintenance. Bob reviewed the architecture and operations of the NPS, the largest of 5 steam power stations on Long Island.


We then heard the impressive parameters of NPS; its gargantuan capacity of 4150 Megawatts of generating power, its oil storage capacity of 2 Million barrels, the million gallon per minute cooling water flow, and 1000 degree 2500 PSI steam operation, illustrating its brawn. Operating this behemoth efficiently within the extensively regulated environment is a ballet performed by the dedicated staff that takes great pride in their plant and work. Balancing environmental regulations designed to protect fish, with getting the proper mix of oil and gas burning within air pollution requirements, and then coordinating the electrical output minute by minute with the New York Independent System Operator is an effort that demands constant attention to detail.


In all, this was a master class in the mechanic, economic, environmental and human factors involved in operating an integral piece of Long Island’s infrastructure. We extend our thanks to National Grid for allowing us to be one of the ten tours that are granted each year. It was a special opportunity to go “behind the switch” and see where our electricity comes from and get to know the facility and people that keep the lights on. An educational opportunity not to be missed.
Recap by Craig Plunkett
Craig Plunkett is Managing Director of CEDX Corporation, a New York consulting firm, specializing in wireless and IT product strategy and technical deployment. Most recently, he served as VP of Wireless Market Development for Cablevision’s OptimumWiFi, North America’s most advanced 4G network, leading the initial network launches and auto-authentication user experience initiative. Craig is a recognized pioneer in the architecture design and deployment of wireless networks serving the consumer, transportation, resort and quick service restaurant vertical sectors. He developed the first fleet-wide motorcoach Wi-Fi service on the Hampton Jitney and is the founder of the Fire Island Wireless WISP