While ITC replaced power pole, switch; Mountain Lake’s generators kept city from going dark
While Mountain Lake residents went about their business through the evening, night and early morning hours of Wednesday, June 25 to June 26, Ron Melson, superintendent of the Mountain Lake Municipal Electric Department and Pat Oja, department employee – as well as four-of-the-five engine generators in the Municipal Power Plant – were at work keeping those citizens (along with the farm line served) from going dark.
The engines went online when power was cut off so that ITC Midwest, LLC, could replace a power pole and update the system with a new switch that will control which feeders go to a substation north of the city. Work was focused on a power pole on Cottonwood County Road #3, approximately 1/2 mile west of Cottonwood County Road #1. ITC Midwest LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corporation, the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company. ITC Midwest operates more than 6,600 circuit miles of transmission lines in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. The company’s headquarters is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and maintains operating locations in Minnesota at Lakefield and Albert Lea and in Iowa at Dubuque, Iowa City and Perry.
For those residents served by the municipal utility, having a power plant – light-heartedly nicknamed the “light plant” – provides the option of providing electricity when necessary.
The engines of that Mountain Lake Municipal Power Plant were started almost 79 years ago – on July 5, 1935. Plans for the plant began in 1933, but it took two years of court battles with the Interstate Power Company before the plant could be operated.
But, even before that summer day almost eight decades ago, Mountain Lake’s first electricity was supplied from a switchboard located in the flour mill (which came to be known as the Mountain Lake Milling Company). The flour mill was started by David Hiebert in 1870 south of the railroad tracks and east of 10th Street. The three-story frame structure produced two grades of flower – “White Rose” as the top grade and”Snowflake” as its second grade. Rye and buckwheat flour were also produced.
The 50 KW (kilowatt) electric generator, operating with 2400 volts, was added to the mill’s steam plant to do its flour milling and feed grinding as well as supply Mountain Lake with its first electrical current. Interstate Power Company eventually took over this electric generator, operating it until 1935, at which time the “light plant” was built and operational.
Today, the power plant is utilized only for emergency services – or for situations similar to this overnight electrical work.
According to Melson, the four engines online for the approximately 12 hours were the 1825 KW #1 Caterpillar, 1825 KW #3 Caterpillar, the 2070 KW #4 Fairbanks-Morse and the 1300 KW #5 Fairbanks-Morse. (Not used was the #2 Fairbanks-Morse). He also estimate that 3,000 gallons of fuel would be used during the time frame; each engine using 100 gallons an hour.
Added Melson, “Mountain Lake is very fortunate to have these generators. Without them, it would have been black around here, very black. And hot. And quiet.”
